I Dare You
by Marvel'sWhovian
Summary: After the death of her parents, Majalia is thrust into a world she never knew existed. Pair that with new over-protective siblings, Maj's lie is about to get a lot more interesting. Between making new friends and finding her soulmate, what more could she ask for? I mean, what more could a girl ask for? Yes, it is a Bucky/OC Soulmate Fic. I wish there were more of them on here.
1. The Funeral

The parlour rang with a cacophony of noise, mostly chatter of what had happened. No one showed them any respect. She wanted it all to stop- it was too much. She was stuck in a vortex of emotions; most happy, a hint of anger, and a sliver of sadness. No one cared about them. All they wanted was to know was the contents of the will. She seemed to be the only one who who cared, who truly loved them. Neither the money or the estates meant nothing to her. Majalia just wanted to spend another day with them.

As the evening progressed, her stomach began to turn. Majalia would never see their smiling faces again, hear their banter, or watch them work on new projects. The fact had finally hit her. Not even the mark offered her any comfort. Tears forced their way down her cheeks, her air restricted by the lump in her throat. She needed to get away and without much more thinking, Majalia raced out the door. No one would notice or care if she were gone. To them, she was the one thing that kept them from the wealth her parents had. No, she was better off away from them.

Once outside, Majalia took a deep breath and attempted to compose herself. The moment she had, the teenager took off. She absentmindedly wandered through the city she called home, deep in thought. She paid no attention to the slowly emptying streets. She was alone, but the solitude was better than being suffocated by her supposed family.

When Majalia finally began to pay attention, she found herself in the warehouse district and utterly lost. As she tried to find her way back, Majalia heard footsteps behind her. She refused to look back, but quickened her pace; the person did so as well. It wasn't until she realised she as entering an alley did she begin to panic. Majalia broke into a run, moving so fast that she didn't register the man in front of her. When she bumped into him, Majalia was glad there was a potential ally, even if her instincts were telling her to keep running.

"Can you help me? There's someone following me."

"I would, sweetheart, but here's the thing. He works for me."

Majalia's heart dropped as she backed away from him. Her breaths came out erratically, eyes wide as she stared at him. Her retreat was cut short when she hit another body. She scrambled to the side and tried to put some distance between herself and the men. The man she spoke to watched her, an easy smile on his lips that caused her mouth to go dry. "Aww, don't be like that, sweeth'art. We aren't gunna hurt'cha."

Even in fear, Majalia couldn't keep her mouth shut. "I'm sure you say that to everyone." Internally she berated herself. Why couldn't she just be quiet? Why did she always have a response.

"Just pretty lit'le things like you. Really," he held up his hands as if to placate her. The action did the exact opposite. "Just want you to hand over your money."

"I don't have any."

He studied her for a moment before he heaved an exasperated sigh. It was obvious he didn't believe her. She was dressed up, it was nothing special, but she looked like she had something. Especially in the dress her aunt had forced her into. "Gimme the necklace."

Her hands instantly flew to it. The chain was silver, attached to it was a locket her father had made, black and turquoise, and held a photo of her parents. They'd gifted it to her on her ninth birthday, and now, it was one of the few things she had of them. "I can't."

"Sure you can. Jus' take it off an' hand it over. Simple."

"I'm not giving it to you." His eye ticked as she took another step back.

"That so?" He pulled out a gun and nodded at his friend. A quick glance showed he'd retrieved his as well. Both were pointed at her. "I think ya'are."

Majalia stared at him for a moment. She'd lost the only people who'd ever care about her. What more was there for her to lose but her life? At least then she'd be with her parents. Steeling herself, Majalia hoped it would be quick. "I'm not afraid of you. So, if you're going to shoot me, then do it."

The man laughed, a full belly laugh that made her skin crawl. "You got guts, sweeth'art."

"I'd call it stupidity," said a voice from behind him. Majalia's head whipped to the newcomer, surprised that the man's friend had said nothing.

The main guy hastily whipped around, his gun now aimed at the newcomer. "An' who da hell are you?"

"I'll say this once so listen up. Take the gun off the girl and I won't do too much damage."

"Think you can get close e'nuff wit'out gettin' shot?"

"Pretty much," the newcomer lazily replied. "You going to move the gun?"

Majalia watched the two, her main captor's grip on their firearms tightening and the other man's relaxed stance. It was odd, almost as if he were used to staring down the barrel of a gun. "Piss off."

The man sighed. "Hard way it is." With that, he reached for the main assailant. Within minutes the larger man laid in a crumpled heap. His accomplice stared wide eyed before he took off out of the alley. Majalia's saviour glanced at her as he straightened out his shirt. "You were supposed to run."

She shrugged. "Guess I'm dumber than you thought."

"Maybe. What are you doing in these parts anyways?"

"Got lost." Majalia shook her head. She should have paid attention. She wouldn't have have ended up on this situation if she had Then again, maybe she would have. Fate seemed to like messing with her.

"Where are you staying?"

Majalia observed him for a moment. He didn't seem like a bad guy and there was nothing telling her she couldn't trust him to at least get her back to the hotel. Besides, he had just saved her life. "I'm at the Grand." He humphed and began to walk off. "What? Something wrong with that?"

"Nope. Let's get you to your folks," kid."

"They're dead," she muttered. The man didn't seem to hear her though. Before he left the alley, Majalia followed after him, feeling as much of a lost puppy she was. They walked in silence for a few minutes before she gathered her courage to speak again. "So, uh, what's your name?"

"Why do you want to know?"

She shrugged. "Don't know. Want to thank you. Isn't that how those books go?"

He snorted, actually snorted! Majalia glared at him but remained silent. "Don't know what books you're reading, but it's Clint." She nodded and the two continued the walk in silence.

When they reached the hotel, Majalia saw her uncle standing by the door, his signature glower plastered on his face. The moment his eyes landed on her, the older man began to rant and rave about her childishness and bringing strangers to a family affair. Majalia tensed but said nothing. Her only move was to grab onto Clint's jacket clad arm as she was dragged inside.

The rest of her family, if they could be called that, were just as displeased by the blonde man's presence. When questioned, Majalia stated that he was a friend of her father's. It was plausible enough as he made friends with all types of people. Luckily, she was saved from more questions when her parents' lawyer ushered them into a private room. As her parents' wills were read, her relatives grew more and more restless. In the end, her parents knew exactly what type of people they were and left them nothing. Her uncle was furious, the loudest and meanest of the group. Eventually though, the lawyer managed to get them all to leave.

"I don't envy you," the portly man stated as he walked back over to his desk. He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose before he returned them to his face. "Do you know what you'll do now?"

The teenager shrugged. What could she really do? Her family now had more reason to hate her. She was alone. There were things she still wanted to do, but she had no real motivation to do anything since that day. "I want to finish school. I know that much. It's what mom and dad would want."

"And living arrangements?" I know you're nearly an adult, but I'd feel better if you stayed with someone."

"There's no one," Majalia huffed out, pulling on one of her coils. "You saw them. None of them would take me in, and if one of those vultures did, I'd never be taken care of. Rasputin would probably have a convenient accident occur."

The man nodded before he brought his gaze to Clint. He'd been silent the entire time, seemingly in a world of his own. He felt bad for the kid, but he couldn't help but wonder why he was there… or still there… or why the old man was staring at him. "Majalia said you were a family friend, correct?"

Clint flickered his gaze to the girl, taking in her near pleading expression. He knew he was going to regret this. "Yeah."

"Would you have any qualms about housing her, until her graduation, of course."

"Can't say no, can I?" Majalia held her breath at his words. She didn't want to put him in this situation. She had just hoped he'd be a good buffer, someone who would keep her family from being too aggressive. It had worked, to an extent. But she realised she hadn't thought the situation through.

"Well of-"

"No, I can't. Like Maj said, vultures. She'd be out of a home the minute they get their hands on her inheritance. Kid would be better off on her own."

"She's a minor, Mr…"

"I'll look after her," Clint stated. Majalia noticed how he didn't give Porter his name and couldn't help but wonder why. She wasn't going to say a thing. Especially if Clint was willing to take her in, something she was grateful for. "Not the first time I've brought home a stray."

"If she's too much of a burden, I can have her placed somewhere else."

Clint shrugged his words off. "Nah, I got her." He then turned to Majalia. "Have anything we need to pick up?" She nodded, not sure she could trust her voice. She gently rubbed the mark inside her wrist as she tried to swallow the lump that had once again caught in her throat. "All right. Don't bring everything. My place is small." Clint paused, as if thinking of something to add. "Hope you like dogs." With that, Majalia found herself a home… a family with Clint Barton, a man who would soon be one of her closest confidants.


	2. New Friends

A year had passed since Maj had found herself in the care of Clint Barton. During that time, she had the pleasure of meeting his elusive and severely awesome partner, Natasha. The day they met had been a bad one for Maj. It had been a month after her parents death and she had been reluctant to leave the apartment. She'd spent majority of the day curled up in bed with Lucky, her one eyed , four legged baby. It was during that time, Maj woke to a gun pointed at her face with the red-head towering over her. Maj managed to get away from her long enough to call Clint, and eventually the situation was diffused. After that day, and after A LOT of mistakes on her part, the two women grew to be incredibly close, with Natasha becoming the sister she never wanted but needed.

Maj had just graduated from high school and she was excited to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. She enjoyed reading, but that wasn't really something she could get paid to do. As she wandered the streets, Maj felt the first raindrop hit her. With a glance to the heavens, she cursed herself. That's what Clint had been saying. She was in such a rush to meet her friend that she hadn't heard a word out of his mouth. Oh well it was time to do her hair anyways.

When the light rain turned into a downpour, Maj rushed to find cover. The first place she found was closed so she made her way down the line until she found a door far off. She gave no look to the sign at the door's side as she walked in. The moment the door closed, she let out a relieved sigh. Maj's eyes widened when she realised she was in a dive bar full of men. She didn't really feel uncomfortable- she just found it shocking. A few men stared at her as well, some lazily, others in interest, and some hadn't even looked up. The place was silent, a quiet that was slightly unnerving as she figured the place never had a moment of silence. Still, Maj squared her shoulders and went to sit at the bar.

"You lost?"

"Nope. I'm good. Can I get a vodka sprite." Alcohol was never something that was shied away from as a child. From all the travels she did with her parents, Maj was opened up to different customs and practices. In some, children were allowed a glass, small as it may be, of a drink. It was just how she grew up. After moving in with Clint and ultimately Natasha, the pair never really had an issue with her having a drink. Sometimes, at least Clint, would forget her age as she tended to act a bit more mature. She watched the man as he examined her. "Please." With a huff, he went off to make her drink.

The longer she sat on the stool, the louder the room began to grow. A small smile crossed her lips at the men getting comfortable with her presence. It actually wasn't too long before one of them approached her. Maj just gave him a look, answering few of his questions. He offered to get her a drink but she politely declined. One drink was enough for her. He hadn't taken her hint, but before she could rudely tell him to shove off, another man stepped in.

"Leave the kid alone, twinkle toes." The larger man let out an annoyed grunt before he went back to his seat.

"Thanks."

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Touche," was his reply as he reached over the bar and grabbed a drink for himself. Maj watched him, feeling a gentle pull towards him. She rubbed her mark but remained silent. She wasn't sure what was going on, but the feeling she got from him made her want to get to know him. Still, she kept her words to herself. It would be stupid to pull a stunt like she did with Clint, not that she needed this man to be anything.

Maj stayed at the bar for a little over an hour before she decided to make her way home. The rain had become a light drizzle, which was perfect enough for her still soaked coils. With a quick glance throughout the room, and after throwing down some bills, Maj was on her way back to Brooklyn.

When Maj arrived back at the apartment, she found Natasha pulling something out of the oven and Clint walking out of their bedroom. It wasn't odd to find the redhead in the kitchen, but she was sure Nat had been away for work. Maj quickly greeted them before she made her way to her room to change out of her damp clothes. Returning, she helped with anything that was needed. There was mindless chatter, but mostly the three watched some mind numbing show that seemed to have the two hooked. It wasn't long before Maj said her good-nights and went off to bed.

The week passed generally easily, with the two spending more time than usual. Maj knew things weren't going to stay that way. At some point, one or both of them would be off on some business trip. That's what they called them… business trips. It was bullshit. Maj knew neither of them were 9-5'ers. Their mannerisms alone gave them away. When out, she could see them scanning the area, both on high alert although they seemed relaxed. After the first few months with Clint and Nat, she learned not to ask. They never got upset with the questions, but they also never answered. In her mind, she came up with an entire story about them being James Bond type international spies. She never said it to them, but it was fun to think of all the adventures they possibly went on.

It wasn't until Clint came home, bloody and bruised that she really questioned their jobs. The man could barely walk, and Natasha was no better. She sported a busted lip and was favouring her right leg. Maj raised an eyebrow but remained silent. They had been gone for two weeks, not the longest they'd been absent, but the first they'd returned that beat up. She didn't question them until the next day, and even then, the pair played it off like nothing had happened- like she hadn't seen how they came in. Maj gave an annoyed groan before storming out of the house.

She had spent the next few days with her best friend. Alec had been in her life since she was twelve. They met their freshman year of high school and since then have been inseparable. Since her parents' deaths, they had only grown closer, sharing dreams and hopes about their futures and what fate had in store for them. He knew about her mark, and unlike others, never felt sorry for her. As a child she was teased about having an old soulmate, but he never cared. Instead, throughout high school, he would say that it just meant that hers was mature and was better equip to take care of her. She hated those words, but she understood where he came from.

The duo spent most of the time watching some of their favourite films, mostly action films, with The Lord of the Rings trilogy thrown. Both drank way too much, courtesy of Alec's older brother Sean. Sean tended to be out the house most of the time, and their parents were celebrating their fifteenth wedding anniversary travelling through Asia. Outside of movies and alcohol, the friends once again brought up their soulmates. His was MTC06131992. Alec couldn't wait to meet his bond. He had watched a lot of films depicting that first meeting, most of it overly cheesy and romantic in Maj's eyes, and was happy to indulge in that fantasy.

That Tuesday morning, Maj woke to her phone going off. With a groan, she reached over and answered, hearing Natasha on the other end. Clint was heard in the background, but she grumpily asked Nat what she wanted. The news she heard was not something she was looking forward to. Nat had to leave again. At those words, Maj, jumped up, almost falling over Alec's prone form and rushed out the door.

When she reached the apartment, Natasha and Clint were just about to leave. Although she was still peeved with them, she rushed into the redheads arms and told her to be safe. Natasha seemed taken aback, but said patted her back and promised she would. Both women took a step back before Maj turned to Clint. "Are you leaving too?"

"You're stuck with me, kid."

Maj nodded. "How long will you be gone?"

"Not sure. I'll call."

"You better." Maj bit her lip contemplating her next words. Eventually Natasha's raised eyebrow caused her to speak. "We have to talk when you get back." The duo shared a glance before they nodded and Nat pressed a kiss on her forehead before walking out.

Once they were gone, Maj went back to Alec's. She didn't know how long Clint would be gone and she really didn't want to be alone. She'd run off from the house more times than Alec could count, so he wasn't surprised when she walked back in an hour after he'd woken up. Instead of question her like he used to, he pulled her into the kitchen and the friends began to make breakfast.

Three hours into another movie marathon, there was a knock on the door. The friends shared a glance, with Alec saying he wasn't expecting anyone before he stood and answered it. To her surprise, it was Clint. He had met Alec a few times, but he always showed indifference. Alec invited him in, and after a moment, he entered and moved over to Maj, plopping himself down beside her.

"Um, Clint? What are you doing here?"

"I was bored."

"You could have played with Lucky."

"He's fine at home. I wanted to hang out with you."

She tugged his ear, not that it caused a reaction. The man was a steel fortress, although she saw the mirth in his eyes." You could have just called me. I'd have come home."

"And keep you from your boyfriend? I would never."

The two friends rolled her eyes at his words. He had called her from his house for a lot less. Maj examined him for a moment before she turned and asked Alec if he was okay with Clint staying for a while. Alec didn't care. He knew Clint didn't like him, for whatever reason, but the two tolerated each other for Maj's sake and Alec had a feeling Clint could murder him with a rusty spoon if the situation called for it.

Two movies later, Clint stood and grabbed Maj's things. When she questioned him, his response was that he was ready to go home and he wasn't going alone. With an apology to Alec, Maj threw on her shoes and followed Clint out. Upon reaching the apartment, Maj punched his arm- no reaction- and wailed into him. She wanted him to be nicer to her friend… her only friend really. He needed to get over his stupid feelings and suck it up. Alec would be a permanent fixture in her life.

The two had an easy dinner of pizza while watching a documentary about ancient warriors. Clint loved those shows. He found it interesting and he was definitely into the weapons. He liked to say he was a weapons expert, that if anything, he preferred long range. Maj never believed him. Clint was definitely knowledgeable about weapons, but she didn't think he was an expert. Still it fuelled her idea that he and Natasha were spies. Especially if this was his way of dropping hints.

A few months passed before Clint had to leave. Natasha was still gone, and there was something going on with Tony Stark. The billionaire was currently in Monaco or somewhere and was driving in some race. Maj paid little attention to it. Tony Stark was the least of her worries. Granted one couldn't escape anything to do with him, but she tried. Alec was smitten with the man. She was more concerned about the two she considered family.

The day Clint left, she found herself at the skeevy looking bar she had visited so many months prior. She finally got a look at the name, Sister Margaret's School for Wayward Children, a name she found oddly fitting for the place. As she walked in, she received the same reaction, although the silence ended maybe five minutes later. She walked up to the bar, ordered the same drink and enjoyed the atmosphere. As skevvy as the place was, she liked the place. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her pad and began to sketch some of the patrons.

As she moved onto the bartender, a man whose name was Jack- he prefered Weasel- a man took the seat next to her. Maj paid no attention to the conversation between Weasel and the man, she was too busy trying to capture his essence. As she was shading the nose, the man beside her bumped his elbow into her. She glared at him, before going back to her drawing. The man bumped into her again and Maj let out an irritated groan before erasing her mistake. When he did it a third time, her head snapped up as she bumped him, making the man spill his beer onto his pants. She gave him a smug grin as their eyes met. It was then she realised it was the same man who had stepped in when one of the men wouldn't take a hint. "Oh, it's you."

"Isn't it past your bedtime?"

"Not this again. Is there a reason you tried to ruin my drawing?"

"Draw me like one of your french girls," he replied as he stuck a "sexy" pose.

Maj broke out into laughter. "You're not cute enough to be one of my girls." The man looked stricken for a moment before he wrapped an arm over her shoulder and asked if he was then. Maj did her best Natasha face. "Nope. Sorry sir but nothing you do could change my mind."

"I could buy you a drink." Maj thought for a moment before she shrugged and downed the rest of her drink. He quickly ordered her another, although Weasel was already making it. "So why are you drawing these assholes?"

"Practice. I enjoy drawing them. It's a challenge to draw different shapes and sizes, get beards and other detail right. I like challenges." From that point on, she and Wade- she did finally learn his name- traded quips… and the drunker she got.

It was around three in the morning when Maj stumbled into her apartment. Wade had been kind enough to give her a ride. As her stay at Sr Margaret's got longer, the drunker she got. Wade and Weasel kept her glass full, and she did a few shot with the other guys. She was even drunk enough to show them her artwork. They seemed to love it, with one taking a picture to show one of his buddies or something. Ten drinks and seven shots later, Maj was thoroughly done for the night. It was the most fun she had in awhile. She knew the hangover would be shit in the morning, but she didn't care. It was worth it. When she finally made it to her bed, she cuddled up with Lucky and was out like a light.


	3. A Night Out

Neither Clint or Natasha made it home for over two months. Maj received phone calls, but that was the extent of her contact with them. She hated when they were away, and she hated the loneliness more. It was hard, after spending all that time with them, especially knowing that they could be doing something dangerous. They were her family, and Maj didn't know what she would do if he lost either of them. It was something she tried not to dwell on, but after the death of her parents, Maj was terrified of losing more people she cared about.

With her "guardians" gone, Maj spent a lot more of her time between Alec and Sr Margaret's. Many a nights were spent with her stumbling home, mainly chaperoned by Wade or one of the other men, and passing out next to Lucky. The golden retriever was always happy for a snuggle, and he alway got more when she was drunk. Maj was pretty sure Mrs Barnibus, the older lady who lived next door would tell Clint and Natasha about her behaviour, but she couldn't find it in her to care.

With her near daily visits, Majalia had gotten to know most of the men there. She would often draw them, or if she were really drunk, get them to sing Disney songs. That never lasted long as it was a clear sign that it was time to head home. She had never been happier than when she got Mikey, one of the most visibly scary men she'd ever seen, to sing Once Upon a December with her. Maj had even been adding to the dead pool, mostly with Wade or Weasel's money. Every so often on of the guys would let her make a bet for them, but those were far in between. It hadn't taken long before Maj learned of what went on there. While it wasn't something she cared about, the guys were all making a living, and they didn't need her opinion or approval do live their lives. It was fun for her to join in though.

Near the end of her third month alone, Maj had all but moved into Alec's. Most of the time she was at the house, but Maj mainly took the day to spend time with Lucky and take care of him. Alec's parents had returned from their trip, but they didn't mind her around. The friends continued on their movie nights, minus the alcohol, and would often spend the days walking around Manhattan trying to find the most obscure places to hang out. She had brought him to Sr Margarets once, but he hadn't liked it. Maj hadn't taken him back, but she did keep visiting the men.

A few months after her last visit, Weasel offered her a job at the bar. He offered decent pay, not that she would have complained, and she had a group of people who always took care of her. Weasel was kind enough to let her make her own hours, which basically meant that she went in at her usually time and closed out the bar. She enjoyed working there, as she was surrounded by friends. The one thing she hated was Wade causing trouble. The man loved to instigate things, and while it was amusing at times, cleaning blood off the tables and/or floors was not something Maj found fun.

Since she had signed on, Maj spent about 70% of her time at the bar. She slept most of the day, and when she was awake, she'd hang out on her couch watching random movies. That was where Alec found her two weeks later. Maj was gorging herself on popcorn and jolly ranchers. It was an interesting combination, but it suited what she wanted. The man had barged in, grabbed her arm, and pushed her into the bathroom. "What the hell, Alec?"

"We're going out. You've been working every day for the past two weeks. I want to go party and I can't do it without my awesome wing-woman."

"I have to go in. I was planning something fun for the guys."

"I already talked to your boss. He's cool with it. Now go shower while I pick something out for you." Maj huffed in annoyance but did as he said. She knew Alec had been in a slump lately. He was still worried about meeting his soulmate, something that Maj constantly told him would happen when it would. Alec never listened, but he also enjoyed sex so she knew if he found anyone tonight, she'd be ditched, not that she minded much. The sooner he found his next conquest, the sooner she could head home. "Don't forget to shave!"

"Oh, piss off!"

Twenty minutes later, Maj exited the bathroom to find a dress on her bed. The moment she saw the short bright red number, she knew she'd never hear the end of it. It was Natasha's meaning he'd gone into their room. Not a good idea. She knew the redhead would notice, and that she would probably get an earful. Still her worry for Alec overrode her care for the quiet lashing that would come when Nat came back.

The dress really was short, stopping mid thigh. There had been plenty times she raided Natasha's closet. While they weren't the exact same size, a lot of the woman's clothes fit her. It was one of the reasons she loved the woman. As she exited the room, Alec gave a wolf whistle and patted himself on the back. He also took it upon himself to feed Lucky. The pooch was happily munching away on his dinner when the friends left the apartment.

It took near an hour for the friends to reach one of their usual haunts in the city Lavo was one of the hottest clubs in town and while they didn't accept under 21s, but Sean was friends with the owner. That gave the pair special privileges… like cutting the line and always having their names on the roster. It was nice, but Maj wasn't really for the life of upscale nightclubs and whatnot, but she did enjoy the perks of being moneyed and having connections majority of the time.

The moment the two entered, they made their way to the bar and took their first shot. Maj planned to go easy tonight as she knew she'd be going home alone. New York wasn't the safest place in the world, and it was worse for women, particularly after a night out and alone. Maj had never had issues, but she rarely walked around the city in the middle of the night alone. It was an experience she hoped to avoid.

As Majalia sipped on her overly sweet drink, she watched Alec as he danced. The man had rhythm, she couldn't deny that, and it was fun to watch him. The place was packed and Maj had already warded off the few men who had shown interest. She was all good for a one night stand, but she wasn't in the mood for it. Maj wasn't a pude by any means, but she didn't feel like going to a stranger's house without Nat knowing… or being close enough to rescue her if need be. She could never tell Clint about that, but Natasha held all her secrets and basically covered for her in those times.

Ten minutes later, Alec bounced back over to her. She had been on her phone the entire time, mainly talking to Wade. The man had just told her to call if she needed an escort, but she wasn't going to. No need to have the man make an unnecessary trip. Alec had a large smile on his face, one that told Maj everything she needed to know. He had found his next conquest. With happy words, the friends exchanged their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

Alec had taken much longer than Maj had thought. By the time she started to the subway, it was two in the morning. She was used to staying up late, but she would have preferred to have stayed home or been at the Marge's. Still it was silly to dwell on it any longer as she was finally making her way home. As she walked, Majalia shot both Clint and Natasha a text. She had a feeling the messages would go unanswered but she still wanted to check in. Habit, is what she told herself.

By the time she exited the station, Maj was ready to just collapse into her bed. As she walked the three blocks, Maj kept a vigilant eye. Clint's building wasn't in the best part of Brooklyn and she really didn't want to have an incident. As she walked past one of the gated alleys, one of the iron wrought gates opened and a hand grabbed her arm. Majalia let out a yelp and pulled against the person, managing to get them out from their hiding spot. It was a greasy looking man who although bent over, had a lecherous grin on his lips. He continued to pull at her, and Maj did everything to keep herself planted.

The two struggled for a while before he managed to get the upper hand As he slowly dragged her into the alley, however, a man intervened. He managed to get the man to back off and Maj backed away and watched. The whole situation brought her back to when she first met Clint. She hated that she was virtually helpless, but what else could she do. Wade had only just started teaching her things.

When the man had been warded off, her saviour approached. His movements were slow, as if not to startle her more. Honestly, Maj should have been more freaked out, but she wasn't too bad. Maybe all her time spent hearing the guys talk had diminished her already low response to danger.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I'm good. Thanks for that," Maj easily replied. Her eyes trailed up the man. He was dressed in track pants and a white tee, muscles bulging from the sleeves. His eyes were blue, not too dark, not too light, and his hair was a sandy blond. He had a nice facial structure as well, something that Maj would love to draw. Her eyes flitted over him as she took in all the details she could. She didn't realise she was making him uncomfortable until he cleared his throat. "Oops. Sorry. I didn't mean to stare."

"It's fine. Are you close by? If you have no objections, I'd like to walk you home." Maj nodded. It wouldn't be too bad. He couldn't be crazy. He didn't look it, but Maj knew you didn't have to look a certain way to be anything. The man held his hand out, a gesture for her to lead the way. The two walked in companionable silence for a block before he broke it. "I'm Steve, by the way."

"Majalia. Everyone calls me Maj." They exchanged the 'nice to meet you's' and fell back into silence. Twelve minutes later, they were in front of Maj's red-brick home. "This is me." She wrapped her hands around her. "Thank you." When she saw he was going to respond, Maj interrupted. "Really. Thanks. I should probably not be out this late, or called my friend but I'm a bit stubborn." She let out a nervous chuckle. "I hope you make it home safely, Steve." Maj pulled out her key, noticing his reddened cheeks from where she pulled it from. "Have a good night." With that, Maj quickly made her way inside. The moment she was in the apartment, they young woman plopped down on the couch and released a breath. Never again was she walking home alone in the middle of the night.


	4. Worry

A week passed since that incident and Maj had kept her word. She still worked at the bar, but she always made sure one of the guys were able to accompany her home. In reality, Maj could take a cab, but she didn't feel like blowing the cash on one. Luckily, if it wasn't one of the guys, Wade was always down to escort her. She had told him what had happened, and the man had chewed her out something good. Maj felt a bit foolish for not calling him, but she stood by her choice. While she had almost been hurt, she would have rather not taken him from his home or the bar.

As Maj rushed around Sr Margarets, she found herself thinking about the man who had come to her aid. She still hadn't drawn him, something she wanted to do. While she got a decent look at him, Maj wasn't sure how exactly she was going to draw him. She wanted to do a full body portrait, but in the end she would settle for a quarter one. The moment she saw that the guys were good for a moment, Maj grabbed her sketchpad and began to draw.

Wade had showed up while she was mid-picture. He didn't say a thing, just patted her on the back and went to talk to one of the guys. He'd left her to her drawing for a few more minutes before he took his usual spot beside her. As she sat there and tried to get Steve's nose right, Wade's hand grabbed hers. Maj gave him a questioning glance but shrugged it off. A few month into their friendship, Wade had figured out a way to get her to stop drawing without causing her to ruin her work. He'd learned the hard way about what happened when he didn't so as time passed, he'd grab her hand to stop her.

As she went to speak, Wade removed his hand and motioned to the drink in front of her. Maj muttere a thank you and downed half the glass. Thirst quenched, she closed the sketchpad and gave her attention to her friend. The pair talked about a few things, although Wade was eager to tell her about his most recent job. Maj cringed a bit as he went into detail about the target and how he handled him, but she said nothing. There wasn't much for her to say, but the more he described the man, the more disgusted she felt.

Eventually, Wade took a hint, probably from her deep breathing, and stopped taking about the man. Instead, Wade turned to his usual jokes and whatnot. It helped get Maj into a better headspace, but she couldn't stop thinking about his target and what a vile person he was. Soon enough, Maj was knocking back drinks with the guys, mainly Wade's idea. He'd definitely taken notice of her demeanour change was even sang along with her when she asked. Weasel had just rolled his eyes and put her to work after her sixth shot. It seemed they all took humour in watching the drunk woman stumble about as she did her duties.

After her shift, Marty was given the task of making sure Maj made it home safely. He wasn't particularly threatening, but she knew that looks were highly deceiving. The man was capable of taking down a man twice his side, if one believed the stories told about him. As the two walked towards her apartment, Majs phone went off. With a furrowed brow- it was an unknown number- she answered it. Maj was relieved to hear Natasha's voice on the other end. The redhead however sounded exhausted. She only gave Maj a small window to speak before Natasha said she'd be picking her up in the morning. When Maj questioned her, Natasha just reiterated her statement ant hung up. As she tucked her phone away, Maj shared her concern with Marty, with the old man telling her not to worry too much and that she'd get her information in the morning. He was also kind enough to offer to tell Weasel that she wouldn't be coming in for a while. Maj thanked him and went inside.

Maj woke the next morning with the comforter being ripped off her. When she opened her eyes, she saw the woman she hadn't seen in months standing over her. Without a thought, Maj jumped out of her bed, and rushed to the woman, wrapping her arms around her. Natasha returned the embrace for a moment before she pulled away. Maj studied her, making sure she was alright. Nat didn't look as tired as she sounded the night before, which made Maj feel a lot better.

"Did you pack a bag?" the eighteen year old nodded. "Go get ready then. We're leaving in an hour."

"Nat? Is everything okay? I haven't heard anything from either from you in months and now you want to take me somewhere."

"I'll explain on the way." Maj opened her mouth to respond, but the look on Natasha's face had her closing her mouth and going to do what was said.

It took Maj a twenty minutes to shower and throw on clothes. By the time she made her way to Natasha, the redhead was sitting on the couch with Lucky. Natasha had informed her that Mrs Barnibus agreed to take care of the golden while they were away. Maj hated the thought of leaving him alone for a decent amount of time, but she knew that wherever Nat was bringing her, Lucky couldn't tag along.

The drive was silent for the most part. Along the way, Maj called Weasel to confirm that he knew she wouldn't be in and called Alec to let him know that she was going out of town with Nat. Alec was a bit worried, as something so sudden hadn't happened before, but he just told her to be safe and that he'd see her when he returned. Once she had ended the call, she asked Natasha what was going on.

"I'm taking you to work."

"Work? Wait, your job? Why?"

"Something happened and I want to keep you close."

"Is that even smart? You get injured all the time." Natasha shot her a very unamused glare. "Don't look at me like that. I notice things, okay? That day you both came home told me everything I needed to know. Am I safe there?"

Natasha shrugged. "Look, all that matters is you'd probably be safer than at home."

"Is Clint there?" Although most wouldn't have noticed the minute tick in Nat's jaw or the small flex of her fingers on the steering wheel, Maj did. "Nat? What happened to Clint? Is he okay? What's going on?"

"Clint was compromised."

"Compromised? Holy shit All this time, you guys are really spies!" She managed to catch one of Nat's eyebrows quirk up. It was telling enough of what she wanted to know. "I had this whole idea that you guys were. I can't believe I was right." Maj basked in her correction for a moment before she turned serious. "What do you mean by compromised?"

"He was taken by a hostile. We don't know where he is, but we're looking."

"So… I'm going to your job just in case he comes after me?"

"Yes. The hostile could easily get that information from him. I know you probably could have stayed at the bar, but I felt better having you with me."

"Okay," Maj blew out a puff of air. "Makes sense. So your job… where is-" Nat pulled the car off to the side and quickly got out, reaching in to grab Maj's bag. The younger woman followed after her, and stopped when she saw the jet in front of her.

"Come on. We don't have a lot of time. I was on a mission and got called in. As far as anyone is concerned, you're Clint's ward. As his partner I'm doing things right by him. Be yourself and stay out of trouble. We have a twenty minute flight to base." Maj nodded and followed her into the aircraft.

The flight was shorter than Maj expected it to be, even with Natasha's words. It was a lot smoother than most planes too. She honestly couldn't believe it. Then again, this was supposed to be a spy agency, so they had to have some pretty awesome technology. Maj had spent the trip actively listening to what was being said around her while playing on her phone. It wasn't much to listen to, with it being nothing outside of nondescript things. When they had landed, Natasha grabbed Maj's things and walked out, leaving the younger woman to follow.

Maj had been deposited in a room that was basically empty minus the bed and a dresser. It luckily had the bathroom attached, which made it better. Maj wasn't happy about being dumped in an unknown place with no one to talk to. Although she knew this was Natasha's place of work, Maj was peeved with her. She didn't ask to be here and she really didn't like being in an unfamiliar place alone.

The longer she sat there, the more she went over Nat's demeanor. The woman, although usually to the point, was more tense than usual, more tense than Maj knew her to be. She couldn't understand why the redhead had said what she did, other than to hide her from the other people there. A small part of Maj thought she was ashamed of her, but the more rational side figured it was more of her concern for her bond that made her that way. There was nothing from before that proved the former, and Maj really didn't want to go down that rabbit hole of doubt so she stuck with the former. Nat had a lot more to worry about than her at the moment and didn't really need her negativity, not when the woman had been her confidant for the past two years.

About thirty minutes after she'd been left there, Maj decided she'd had enough waiting and slipped out of the room. There were a few people milling about, but Maj was basically ignored. The other spies seemed more worried about their own thing, which definitely worked in Maj's favour. As she made her way down a random corridor, Maj heard a voice that sounded eerily like Natasha's. Not knowing where to go, the younger woman dashed into the nearest room and hid behind one of the desks further from the door.

Maj remained under the desk two or three minutes after Natasha's voice had receded. She had heard the door close, but she wasn't sure that the woman had left the room or was waiting for Maj to leave her spot. It wasn't until there was the clearing of a throat did the young woman jump, hitting her head against the desk. She rubbed at the spot as she crawled out, meeting the eyes of a slightly put together man with curly salt and pepper hair. Maj stared at him wide eyed, stumbling over her words as she tried to get out an apology.

"It's all right. How's your head?"

"Aching, but I'll live." The man gave a small smile. "I'm really sorry for being in here. I was exploring and… um, actually that's a lie. I'm your assistant."

"You work for SHEILD? Aren't you a little young?"

"SHEILD? Yeah… I work for them. I'm usually working in my own room… on uh, the computers and all that."

"Let's say I believe that. What do you know about thermonuclear astrophysics?"

Maj gave him a deer in headlights look before she let out an exasperated sigh. "All right, you caught me. I'm not your assistant, but I can be. Anything beats being stuck in a stupid empty room with nothing to do. Hell, my phone isn't even entertaining me enough and all my other friends are busy. So, can I stay and learn or are you going to kick me out?"

"Who exactly are you, if not a SHIELD agent?"

"Before I answer, what the hell is SHIELD?" Maj turned away from him and began to mutter to herself. "Oh, those assholes. Wait til I get my hands on them. They never want to talk about their job but they can't hide it from me now. Uh! I knew I should have questioned them more. Stupid spies. Stupid family. I'll eviscerate them both." All the while, the man was trying to grab her attention. It wasn't until she felt his hand on her shoulder did she return her attention to him. "Sorry. Um, I'm Majalia but everyone calls me Maj. I'm currently here against my will because the woman I consider to be my sister dragged me here because my brother was compromised. I'm assuming you're here to help find him? I mean, you're a scientist, right? Of course you are, you wouldn't be in this lab for no reason. Ugh this place is killing my brain."

"Hey, calm down. I don't know why you were brought here, but you can stay in the lab with me. Sound good?" Maj nodded and went to sit in one of the chairs. "I'm Bruce."

"Nice to meet you, Bruce. Just a heads up, if you don't see me after today, I've been murdered. My sister's scary when she wants to be." Maj shivered at what Nat could do to her, especially now that she had confirmation of her job.

"Who's your sister?"

"The redhead that brought you to the room. She's who I was hiding from. If she knew I was out of my quarters, she'd probably have a real creative means of punishment planned.

"Agent Romanoff?"

"That's what she's called here? Um, yeah, her. Love her to bits although the first time we met, she pulled a gun on me. I mean, who does that? How did you meet her?"

"She brought me in from Calcutta."

"Oh, India! I've always wanted to go. I planned to with my best friend after graduation, but we never went. His parents took us to Bali instead. It was fun, but I really wanted India. How was it?"

"It was nice. Very little stress."

"Oh, cool. Sorry, sometimes I don't shut up. I kind of didn't make it in until four this morning so I'm probably still kinda loopy from work. I'll just shut up now and stay out of your way." Bruce went to say something, probably negate her statement, but Maj shook her head and pulled out her phone and stuck her headphones on. She really didn't want to keep him from his work and she kind-of felt bad for talking so much. There was also the fact that Nat had told her to tell people she was Clint's ward and she went off telling him about their relationship. The less she spoke the better.

At some point, Maj was being shaken awake by Bruce. She'd fallen asleep at some point and looking at the man, he seemed a exhausted. As she checked her phone, Maj saw it was near two in the morning. The young woman stood, stretched her stiff limbs, and turned to the man. "Hey, you were just in India, right?" He gave a slight nod as she continued to stare at the screen in front of him. "Have you heard of this thing called sleep? You just crossed how many time zones? You should probably get some rest." He said something about not being tired but Maj wasn't going to take that. "Dude, to your body, you've been up for at least 48 hours, not to mention whatever you were doing before Nat got you. No matter how much of a workaholic you are, you need sleep. I mean, you being dead on your feet isn't going to help anyone and sleep is good for the soul."

Bruce sighed and removed his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I need to keep an eye-"

"It'll be here later. Please, Bruce. Get some rest. You're the only one outside of Nat who knows about me at the moment and from the looks of it, you're spent. Look at this stuff with fresh eyes." It took a bit of convincing, but the man eventually caved. With a victorious smile, Maj wrapped her arm around his and dragged him from the lab.

* * *

Hey guys! Hope you're enjoying the story so far. I know it's moving a little slow, at least in getting to Babe but it'll be worth it. Funny story though. I gave a whole playlist dedicated to this story. I would love to hear from you but don't feel pressured to leave a review.


	5. Trouble

When Maj woke the next morning, she immediately checked her phone and found multiple missed calls from Alec and Wade. The latter was more worried about the situation and why she'd be dragged from home so quickly. Alec on the other hand, was worried about her. It made sense that the pair would call. She hadn't spoken to either of them in over 24 hours, something that wasn't too unusual, but with the situation, Maj was sure they only wanted to ensure her safety. Not wanting to cause the two any more grief, she quickly fired off a text to both of them and rolled out of the bed.

It was twenty minutes before Maj was ready to start her day. She returned to the bed, sitting down in hopes that Natasha would show up. She hadn't eaten since the afternoon before and she was starting to feel the effects. She hoped the redhead would be by soon, as Maj really didn't feel like having to hear a lecture about not staying put or listening. She'd had enough of that to last a lifetime.

More time passed before there was a knock on her door. By the time it had come, the young woman was already standing at the door, hand on the knob. She pulled the door open, a scowl on her face. "It's about damn ti- Oh! You're not Nat."

"Last I checked. Have you eaten yet?"

Maj shook her head. "I woke up a while ago. Been waiting on Big Red to come and give me permission to leave the room." Bruce raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't supposed to leave the first time, remember? I'd rather not deal with her wrath. I probably should wait for her. If she saw me with you, she'd know I left."

"I doubt she'd say anything. You have to eat, right?"

"You don't know her, Bruce. While _she's_ all for breaking the rules, when it comes to me, I'm meant to follow them. I've dealt with it for years… and I really don't want to-"

"Maj, don't worry about Agent Romanoff. If she gets upset, I'll talk to her." Maj stared at him, not sure why he was willing to do something like that for her. I mean, sure it was nice of him to offer, but he was just a scientist and Nat was a spy. When she voiced her thoughts, the man gave her a look akin to shock before he seemed to compose himself. "Well, I'm sure she wouldn't want to hear me talk."

"Probably not." She peeked her head out, looking to see if her pseudo-guardian was anywhere in the area… or hiding somewhere. When she saw nothing, Maj met Bruce's amused eyes. "What? She _is_ a spy." The man chuckled before he slowly walked off. With a sigh, Maj shut the door behind her and followed after him.

When the two made it to the cafeteria, Maj was surprised to see just how inclusive all the food was. She probably shouldn't have been that shocked, but she figured the food would have been generic but decent. Bruce seemed to have a similar notion as he looked around. At least she thought it was surprise.

As they walked to the buffet style table, Maj couldn't help but notice that many of the people watched Bruce or seemed to avoid him like the plague. She couldn't see why they would do so, but she also noticed how his demeanour changed. The man hunched in on himself and kept his head down. Not wanting him to feel excluded or any more uncomfortable, Maj wrapped her arm around his and pulled him towards the food table.

The pair dished their share, with Maj having almost as much as Bruce, and found an empty table off to the side. She still saw people staring their way, but the young woman paid it no mind. She didn't care for the looks, but if someone said a thing to Bruce, she was going to have words with them. That was one thing she wouldn't stand for, especially when the man had been nothing but nice to her. Since she'd been on the ship she'd been ignored and left alone and he was the only one to speak to her, even if she had edged into his lab.

Majalia did her best to distract Bruce from the stares, but the man couldn't shake them off. She felt bad for him, as he really didn't deserve it. The moment they finished eating, Maj pulled the man off, sending glares at those who dared look at him. Upon entering his lab, the young woman began to ask about a few of the things he was doing. Bruce was patient enough to answer her, but Maj knew he wasn't particularly interested in the distraction but she still tried to pull him out of his head. When it got to the point that she found herself annoying, Maj rushed to her room and returned with her phone and earbuds. If he didn't want to talk, she would just be a silent companion.

It was around five thirty when Majalia decided that it was time for food. She stood, removed the earbuds, and stretched, popping the many stiff joints in her back. Bruce was still typing away at the computer, although he was muttering to himself. She sidled up next to him and tapped his shoulder. The man started a bit, but gave the woman a small smile. "Hungry?" He shook his head. "You know, I don't actually believe you. I mean, you probably don't want to deal with them staring at you."

"Maj."

"You have to eat. How about we grab the food and try to find a kind of secluded place? I mean there's not a lot of places where people aren't, but I'm sure there's somewhere they won't be blatant with their staring," Maj gave an encouraging smile. She really hoped he would take her up on her suggestion. A part of her knew she was being a little selfish, but Majalia also had a feeling the man wouldn't do a thing he didn't want to.

"All right. Fine. I think we can find somewhere."

It didn't take long for the pair to grab their food and find a place to sit. As dangerous as it was, they settled down on the edge of the ship. Maj spent most of the time rambling about random things as they ate. Although she'd only just met Bruce, she had picked up that he was a quiet soul but witty. Maj found herself laughing the few time he'd interject. She enjoyed his presence, but she wished she knew what was going on.

After they had thrown away their trash, the pair decided to walk around the ship. Maj was interested in seeing what else there was. She had a small fascination with planes and to be on a carrier gave her the perfect opportunity to inspect them. As she moved to look at one of the planes, Bruce was near the carrier's edge, looking over into the water. She knew it was probably a bad idea, but with him so close to the edge, Maj decided to surprise him. Quiet as she could, she slunk over his way, but she never reached as a voice called out for the curly haired man.

"Doctor Banner." Bruce quickly turned to face the voice, but not before he raised an eyebrow at Majalia. She shrugged and walked with him. The young woman stopped in her tracks when she saw the icy glare she received from a very familiar red-head. "Majalia?" Her gaze left the woman to the man.

"Holy shit! Steve? Wh-what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Before she could reply, Bruce cut in. "Oh, yeah, hi. They told me you'd be coming."

"Word is you could find the Cube."

Maj looked between the men but kept silent. She was pretty sure she was already in enough trouble as it was. Better to stay quiet, especially as she knew Nat's eyes were trained on her. "Is that the only word on me?"

"Only word I care about."

There was an awkward silence, one that Bruce seemed to want to fill. "Must be strange to you, all this." Maj would have found it amusing if daggers weren't being glared into her. She really wished Natasha would just lay it out on her. Anything would be better than the look she was getting. Clint was a damn near master at the disappointed dad look, an expression that always made her feel like shit... and still did. Natasha. Well, she was in a whole new field. Sure she could pull of the look, but her dead eyed expression had the literal same effect as Clint's disappointed dad. She knew why. While Clint had rescued her from a shitty life, Natasha had welcomed her into their bubble, had been there for her through her last years of high school, became her confidant. Having the woman angry with her actually hurt more that Clint's expression. She hadn't signed on for any of that, hadn't signed up to her soulmate bringing home a stray teenager. But she accepted Maj nonetheless and treated her like the little sister she never had.

"Well, this is actually kind of familiar."

"Gentlemen. You might want to step inside in a minute. It's gonna get a little hard to breathe." As she said that, Maj watched as agents ran around the deck and strapped the planes down. She was confused as to what their actions and Natasha's words meant. Why was it about to get hard to breathe? Maj wanted answers, but knew Nat wouldn't be very helpful.

Both men had turned to her. "Is this a submarine?"

"Really, they want me in a submerged, pressurised metal container?" The men then looked at each other before the went to the edge. Maj furrowed her eyebrows. Why would Bruce say something like that? Was he claustrophobic? Maj was ripped from her thoughts when the carrier began to rise. "Oh, no. This is much worse."

The four stood in the bridge, Maj far behind as to not get in the way. She watched as Steve handed a man in a black trenchcoat a bill before he continued to look around. Maj remained by the door, watching everything and listening to what was being said. Eventually, the man in the trenchcoat returned his attention to Steve and Bruce. As the man spoke to Bruce, and Steve with Phil, Maj noticed that Nat had gone to a computer. The younger woman took a minute step forward when she saw Clint's picture, but caught herself before she could bring any attention her way.

As Bruce and the man had traded words, the young woman crept to his side. She knew that with all the stares he received, she could probably stay out of some trouble. It wasn't until Natasha was told to escort Bruce to his lab did Maj panic.

"You're gonna love it, Doc. We got some new toys."

"Really? Do you have a com-meter sixty four?"

"I'm not su-"

"Oh, you're very young." As they reached the door, Bruce turned, eyes searching. When they found it's target, he smile. "Speaking of. I need my assistant. Maj?"

All eyes fell on her. Majalia looked around the room wide eyed before she skittered over to Bruce. She didn't bother to meet the eyes of Natasha. Maj was quite certain the woman was going to rip her a new one, and while she wanted to pretend she didn't care, she did. The woman was basically her sister and it hurt that since she'd been picked up, the redhead had done nothing but ignore her. After everything they'd been through, Maj had hoped she wouldn't have acted the way she was.

As they reached the lab, Natasha put a hand out to keep the coily haired brunette from entering. She let out a squeak, one that alerted Bruce of the situation. She watched as the two entered a staring match, one that in the end didn't have a definite victor. The two had looked away at the same time. "Nat-" Before she could continue, the spy had moved her hand and pushed Maj into the room. The woman turned and watched as she walked away, her gait relaxed but the muscles of her back tense. Maj knew this wasn't the end of it.

It was near two hours later that there was a bit of commotion. From listening to a few agents, it seemed as if that the person who had taken the cube thing was found. Maj looked at Bruce before she sighed and told him she'd be back. Although things didn't seem too great between her and Natasha, she really wanted to see her off. It was something she always did when they were home, even if they were upset with each other.

It took getting lost and asking a few people to find the redhead. When she had, the woman barely looked at her. Maj tried to get her attention, but she received nothing. In a fit of anger, she threw a punch at the woman. With lightning fast reflexes, Natasha had grabbed her arm and flipped her onto the floor, pinning her down with her knee. Maj let out a cry, one that was heard by a man in an american flag suit. "Hey. What are you doing?"

"It's none of your concern," she bit out, still not releasing her.

"Looks like it is. You go around hurting your own?"

"When they deserve it."

"I'm sorry, okay! I'm sorry I snuck out. I'm sorry I didn't listen. I'm sorry I basically ruined everything. Please, just let go. I'll stay out of your way."

"That what you really think? That you ruined everything? That you're in the way?" Maj whimpered. The man in the suit was forgotten. "Dammit Majalia, do you have any idea the shit storm you're going to cause?" Natasha released her and pulled the crying girl to her feet. "I wanted you in that damn room so that none of the other agents knew you were here. In case you didn't know, you're a liability. I can't do my job and worry about you."

"I'm sorry."

"Go back to the lab. Stay with Bruce from now on. Do you understand." The younger woman nodded. "Good." With that, she sauntered into the nearest plane.

Steve on the other hand kept his eyes locked on Majalia. He was worried about what he had seen, but at least he'd figured out why she was there. Steve knew he had to go, but he really didn't want to leave a girl crying, especially when Romanoff had said he wanted her safe. "How's your arm?"

"Fine. I'll be fine."

"You should probably do as she said."

"I will." Maj chewed at her lip a bit, unsure of herself in front of the stranger. "Um, could you tell her to be safe for me?" Steve raised a brow. "I-I mean, you too. I didn't mean-"

"I'll tell her."

"Thanks." With that, Maj turned and made her way back inside. She took her time getting back to the lab. A large part of her wanted to run, but Majalia didn't want Bruce to see her all red eyed and sniveling. She didn't want to worry him… or distract him from his work. Whatever they were doing here was obviously important and she didn't want to interfere. All Maj could do was hope that she'd be able to go home soon. She missed Wade, Weasel, and the guys at Sr Margarets. She wanted to spend time watching sappy romances and horror flicks with Alec. She missed the people who had been there when Clint and Natasha hadn't. She just wanted to go home.


	6. Do I Know You?

_**Yay, another update! I'll be trying to post more regularly. Also, Endgame messed me up. Granted I was going to completely diverge from canon after a specific moment in Civil War but still. I have another one planned that follows everything. Goodness, it's going to suck to watch it all once I hit Civil War. But anyways, nevermind that.**_

 _ **Now onto the chapter!**_

* * *

As Majalia made her way through the halls, she barely paid attention to where she went. She knew that she was supposed to go straight to Bruce's lab, but she really didn't want to have him question her. Things were already so weird, and confusing. She didn't want any awkwardness between them, especially since she knew her eyes were red. It was bad enough someone had witnessed it.

The walk back to the lab was slow moving, with Maj getting lost more than once. Along the way, she bumped into a few agents, but they weren't very helpful. It took a while, but she eventually made her way to the lab. There, she found Bruce at his computer. The man glanced at her as she entered, and she managed to give him a small smile as she planted herself in the seat she'd occupied the day before. It was best to keep out of Bruce's way. In that time she decided to look into the man with the familiar suit.

Hours passed before they were interrupted. There was a gaggle of SHIELD agents who surrounded a pale man with slick back black hair and both lab occupants watched as he was escorted somewhere. The man's green eyes caught Majalia's as she leaned forward in interest. A shiver ran down her spine as their eyes met and she instantly inched closer to the man beside her. For not knowing him very long, Maj felt safest with him.

Not long after the man had passed by, Bruce was collected from the lab. Maj was able to tow along as he claimed she was his assistant, something she was very happy the agent believed. It also helped that Bruce had called her such when they were in the bridge. She was just happy to check on Natasha and make sure she was okay.

When they were left in the bridge, it seemed as if she and Bruce were the last to arrive. As Maj moved to the table, she froze, seeing a very familiar face in the American flag suit. She couldn't believe her eyes. Steve was the guy. He was one of the SHIELD people. Her head spun as she tried to make sense of it, especially since she now knew about the suit. He couldn't be the original. There was no way as the man had died in '45. Maybe the agency had asked him to take the mantle for whatever reason. It was the only conclusion she could come to as there was no way the original could have survived.

After a quick glance at the red-head, Majalia looked at the tall blonde man who stood near Bruce. He was cute, in a rugged and ultra buff way- not what she would go for but attractive nonetheless. It wasn't long after her observation that the screen on the table showed the pale man and the man she'd seen when she'd first entered the bridge. Maj paid close attention to what was being said, frowning as the man spoke. She couldn't understand what he meant about the monster playing a man, or about the girl who had yet to be unlocked. It wasn't much longer that the conversation ended and the screen turned off.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?"

"Loki's going to drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?"

Maj glanced up at the standing blonde, eyes wide as she heard the name. Loki? Thor? Like the mythological Norse gods? She didn't dare ask about it as she was pretty sure she wasn't even supposed to be hearing the information. Instead, she opted to remain silent and wait until later to question Natasha or Bruce about it.

"He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army, from outer space?" Steve's voice was one of disbelief. Maj couldn't blame him. This all sounded ridiculous and if she hadn't known about the X-Men and mutants, she would have thought it was all insane. Hell, there were supposed to be TWO gods on this ship thing.

"So, he's building another portal. That's what he needs Selvig for."

"Selvig?"

"He's an astrophysicist."

"He's a friend."

"Loki has them under some kind of spell - along with one of ours." Maj's head immediately snapped to the woman. Natasha steadily met her gaze, her head tilting just the slightest. In that moment, the younger woman received her answer. Majalia did her best to control her breathing as she knew she was about to start hyperventilating. Clint was possessed by the greasy looking man- Loki- and there seemed to be no way of getting him back. Loki didn't seem to keen to give away his secrets.

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here."

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is like a bag full of cats- you can smell the crazy on him." Although she tried, Majalia couldn't help the snort that escaped her. Thor and Natasha shot her a look that quickly silenced her and had her averting her eyes to the desk.

"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard and he is my brother."

"He killed eighty people in two days."

"He's adopted."

"I think it's about the mechanics. Iridium, what do they need iridium for?"

It was at that moment, Tony freaking Stark entered the room with Phil. For the most part, Maj wasn't impressed by the over the top man, but she did admire the path he had taken after he stopped creating weapons. There was that and he was a genius. Maj had met him a few times as a child, with her parents bringing her to a few functions. She wasn't sure he remembered her, but all the times they had met, he had been nothing but kind to her and a friend to her father. "It's a stabilizing agent."

With that, he returned to his conversation with Phil. As they separated, the man returned his attention to the group. "It means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did with SHIELD." He headed over the Thor and patted his arm. "No hard feelings point break. You got a mean swing." Maj giggled a bit as Thor glared at him, although it was missed as Tony moved to the control panel. "Also means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long as Loki wants." He then turned his attention to some of the agents, who stared at him dead-eyed as he spoke. When he received no response, he outed one of them who was playing a game.

Maj couldn't hide her amusement. As odd as it was, he was kind of the same as he was all those years ago, just less inebriated. Her mother had never been a fan of his drinking, but he never did anything to show he was untrustworthy. In fact, when he wanted to get away, they often let him pull Maj away and he'd tell her jokes. That obviously all stopped when her parents died. He'd been at the funeral, but all he gave Maj was a small nod before he left. It was the last she heard from him. "The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source of high energy density. Something to- kickstart the Cube."

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?"

"Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers- am I the only one who did the reading?"

"Does Loki need any particular power source?" That was a good question from Steve, Maj had to admit.

"He has to heat the Cube to a hundred and twenty million kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier." Maj raised a brow. She was horribly confused, but it made sense as she knew nothing about astrophysics. A part of her hoped that Bruce would explain a little to her when he had a bit of downtime… meaning when she forced him to step away from his work for a few minutes.

"Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the Quantum Tunneling effect."

"Well, if he could do that he could achieve heavy-ion fusion at any reactor on the planet."

"Finally, someone who speaks English!"

"Is that what happened?"

Maj nodded before she leaned over to whisper to him. "It's their kind of English. Us lesser folk couldn't even touch it."

"It's good to meet you, Doctor Banner. Your work on anti-electronic collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you- lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

That piqued Maj's interest completely. An enormous green rage monster? Bruce? No way in hell. The man was the epitome of calm. She was so caught in her thoughts she missed the glance Bruce sent her and the entrance of the man in the trenchcoat. In fact she missed just about the entirety of the conversation that had transpired. Maj was only pulled from her thoughts when Bruce placed a hand on her shoulder and motioned for her to follow after him. She gave a quick glance to everyone else, before she stood and quickly went after Bruce.

As they entered the lab, Bruce and Tony got straight to work. Maj watched them in awe. She always did enjoy learning, and to watch to geniuses in their environment was fascinating. Maj wanted to ask about the whole science thing… and the green rage monster thing… but she kept quiet. She wasn't even supposed to be there to begin with. Instead, she sat in her little corner and played on her phone, texting Wade and Alec. The latter was happy to tell her what he'd been doing, and they had made plans for another movie marathon. She wasn't sure what they would watch, but she threw out the idea of watching The Mummy. It was only two films (we don't talk about the third) and she kind of wanted to be able to head into work at some point. She knew Alec wouldn't like it, but she really did miss the guys at Sr Margaret's.

As she typed away, Maj noticed a shadow hovering over her. Upon looking up, she came face to face with Tony Stark. "Don't I know you?" Maj raised a brow and shrugged. She really didn't know what to say to that. 'Yeah, you used to hang out with me at those snooty events when I was a kid'. That would have been mortifying. "I do don't I? Where do I know you from? We haven't slept together, right? You look a little too young to have been in my bed."

"No, Mr Stark. That hasn't happened."

"But I do know you right?"

"You knew my parents better." The look he gave told her to continue. "Uh, Emile and Jackson Butler."

Tony look dumbstruck to say the least. It was like he couldn't believe that she was in front of him, or on the ship. She found that she couldn't blame him for it. Hell, if Nat hadn't brought her here, Maj would have been a distant memory. The billionaire rubbed the back of his neck. "Really? What are you doing here? You didn't become a spy, did you? Jackson would probably leave the grave."

"Uh, no. I'm not. I'm Bruce's assistant."

"Now say that again and I might actually believe you." Maj blanched and tried not to glance over at Bruce. She repeated her statement but Tony just chuckled. Cheeks puffed out, Maj folded her arms over her chest in indignation. "Sorry kid. Your eyes glazed over when we were talking science."

"So what? I could just be grabbing him coffee and food. Goodness knows he forgets to eat and sleep." Bruce coughed and ducked his head. "Sorry, Bruce. You know what, I'm just going to go get that coffee." With that, Maj rushed out of the room, bumping into Steve as she did so.

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	7. Key to Victory

Maj had managed to get the two men their drinks. She figured she was doing pretty well as an assistant. It wasn't too different than working at the bar. As she approached the room, she heard the tail-end of Tony's statement. It wasn't something she was supposed to hear, but she was incredibly curious. Bruce was supposed to be dead? She remained in her spot, silent and listening for the rebuttal that came.

"So you're saying that the Hulk- the Other Guy- saved my life? That's nice. That's a nice sentiment. Saved it for… what?"

"I guess we'll find out."

"You might not enjoy it."

"And you just might."

That seemed to be the end of the conversation, but she wasn't ready to go back in yet. It would look too suspicious. Instead, Maj waited a bit longer before she walked in and when she did, both thanked her for the drinks, tea for Bruce and coffee with equal parts sugar and cream for Tony. With an excuse she hoped the men would accept, Maj left the lab for her room.

Door closed, Maj flopped down onto the mattress and let out a breath. Her thoughts raced as she tried to sort through what she'd heard. From what she remembered, the Hulk had decimated Harlem a few years ago. If what she had heard was true, then that was Bruce. Maj wasn't sure she could believe it. I mean, he was so quiet and mild-mannered. The man couldn't be a giant rage monster. Yet the more she thought about it, Maj began to realise that the stares were that of wariness and fear. Everyone here was aware of his condition. A part of her was upset that he hadn't told her, but Maj reminded herself that he owed her nothing, and he probably didn't want to lose the one friend he'd made on this ship. She couldn't fault him for protecting himself.

Maj stayed in her room for a while, occupying herself with her game and talking to Alec. She had told him little things, more so about her meeting Tony Stark. Her friend was all over that, asking a million questions that she couldn't answer. As she tried to explain that, the door to her room opened and men in tactical gear entered. She hadn't even been able to say anything to her best friend before she was engulfed by darkness.

Her head pounded as Maj came to. She wasn't sure what had happened, but she was very well aware that she hadn't been drinking. As she cracked her eyes open, she was met with glass windows and a beautiful view of the New York skyline. The world spun as she abruptly sat up. Closing her eyes, she tried to get her bearings before she attempted to move again. When she no longer felt like she was going to vomit, Maj tried again- slower that time around.

She took in the area, a spacious room with a bar. It was nice, although the thought quickly left her when she saw the man standing by the window. Shock flooded through her when she realised it was the greasy looking man from before- Loki. As if he had heard her thoughts, he turned, an amused smirk plastered on his lips.

"So you have awoken. How does your head feel?"

"What do you want with me?"

"We'll get to that shortly. I am not without some care, mortal. Now, how is your head?"

"Fine. Why did you take me?" Maj glanced around, looking for Clint. She knew he had been brainwashed and while she wasn't sure he wouldn't hurt her, she wanted to see that he was okay.

"You are needed. Do you not know what you carry?" Maj tilted her head. She had no idea what he was talking about, but she knew she had to get him to keep talking, to stall him until someone came for her. "The power you hold will help me rule this realm. You are the key to my victory."

"Power? I don't have any powers. You're better off going for someone else." Loki did nothing but plaster that annoying grin back onto his lips. Maj scooted away as he began to move towards her, but not long after her first move, hands clamped onto her shoulders. Looking up, she found it was another Loki. She struggled to get away but his grip was firm. As he stood before her, he pointed the tip of his sceptre at her, bringing it closer to her chest. Maj continued to struggle, but it was no use. The moment the sceptre touched her, Maj was once again out like a light.

Maj woke to someone stroking the top of her head. Before she could realise her action, she swatted the hand away. As she did so, she heard the person say that she was fine. Upon hearing the voice, Maj's eyes snapped open and she launched herself into the person's arms. He was okay! His arms instantly wrapped around her and pulled her close.

"Clint! You're okay! I was so worried!" Maj pulled away and slapped him. "Don't you do that to me again!"

"Promise I won't let a crazy god take over my mind again." Maj rolled her eyes but snuggled back into him. "How are you though? A few of us were worried when we realised that Loki had taken you."

"You were? Um, I'm fine. Loki did something though. I don't know what and I don't feel different. I just know he touched me with his glow stick and I blacked out."

"We'll figure it out." Maj nodded. "Think you can handle a few guests? You've been unconscious for a few days."

"Days?! I need to shower. My hair's probably matted. I have to brush my teeth." Clint burst out laughing, only stopping when she shot him a pointed glare. "It's not funny. I can't have visitors and stink." The young woman shoved herself off of her brother and ran into the bathroom.

An hour later, Maj felt a lot better. She was so thankful for Natasha, as the woman had brought all of her products, even her mango butter and coconut oil hair mixture. Dressed in her comfortable leggings and one of Clint's shirts, Maj re-entered the room. She came to a stop when she saw all of her guests. Tony and Ms Potts were off to the side speaking to Bruce while Clint and Nat were having their own conversation with Steve. She couldn't believe they had all come to check on her, especially when they probably had better things to do. Steve was the first to notice her.

"Maj. How are you feeling?"

"Better." She gave him a quick hug before she walked over to Bruce. "How are you?"

"I'm sure I should be asking you that question."

"Yeah, but you're the one who's uncomfortable with groups of people." The curly haired scientist gave her a small smile and shrug before she was pulled away.

Eventually, Maj had a moment where her attention wasn't demanded. As she sat back and watched everyone, she couldn't help the warmth that radiated through her. She had people. Her family had extended and she couldn't be happier. Now if only she could get them to Sr Margaret's.

It was a few more days before she was deemed okay to leave. The doctors wanted to run tests, but Maj wouldn't allow them. She didn't particularly trust them. Instead, she asked if Bruce would do it. He was hesitant, but the moment she had said she felt the most comfortable with him, he acquiesced. Maj was actually glad that he had. Bruce was a lot gentler than the other doctors she'd had the pleasure of having. As he worked, he told her what he was doing, and made sure was okay with all of it.

During one of his tests, Maj decided to bring up what she'd heard. She didn't outright say it but asked about all the stares he was getting on the carrier. He seemed reluctant, but in the end, Bruce did tell her about his history. Maj told him that she couldn't believe it due to his disposition- a statement that got a chuckle out of him- but she took his word for it. That was the only time it was brought up, although he had asked if it changed how she felt towards him. Maj just responded that she was around dangerous folk all the time.

Speaking of those folk, Wade and the guys at Sr Margaret's were not happy with her. Wade had chewed her out good the day she returned to the bar and told her story. She couldn't blame him for his worry, but she wasn't sure what she could have said to him. Instead, she bought a few rounds of drinks for the guys and promised them that she would tell them the next time something came up.

Alec was harder to explain everything to. He was livid, more so than she thought he would be. Thankfully, his place was away from area zero, but Sean wasn't so lucky. His apartment was destroyed, and in the end, he had to move back in with the family. Alec and his family were pretty upset with her but they were glad she was alive and okay. She paid Alec back with a trip to Stark Tower. After a meeting with the billionaire, Alec was a little better.

She hadn't spent much time with Tony after that. The man was busy and going through his own things. From what she was told, Tony had flown a nuke into the wormhole, lost oxygen, and crashed down on earth. He wasn't badly damaged due to the Hulk grabbing him before he could become a pancake. Maj could understand him having to deal with his sacrifice and the implications of it. Maj made sure to send him a text at least once a week and spoke to Pepper at least twice a week. She wasn't going to see them for a while as they were heading back to Malibu.

The one person she saw most was Steve. After she had returned home, he had stopped by to check on her. It was on a pretty stressful day so they ended up going for lunch. She managed to learn that he was THE Captain America, not a man taking up the mantle but the original. Maj was fascinated and asked him more questions about the 20s and 30s more than anything. She did everything she could to keep it light. It was after that they developed a routine. Every other day, they would go out and explore. He even took her on a few trips out of the state.

At home, things were a bit different. Clint had nightmares just about every night, and those he hadn't were the ones he hadn't slept. Lucky had taken to sleeping outside his and Nat's door, barking when the man would start up. Natasha wasn't getting sleep either. Most of it had to do with Clint. Although she barely showed it, she was worried about him. Both were tense and irate majority of the time and it only caused tension in their home. In the end, Maj told them to go on a vacation. It was the only thing she could think of. They needed time away, and she was sure that being away from the reminders of the Battle of New York- that's what they called it- would do them good.

While things were both good and bad, Maj wouldn't have traded any of what she was had. She wanted her family to get better. Maj by no effect wasn't an idiot. She was very aware that her new friends- The Avengers- were struggling, some more than others. Maj just wished there was something that she could do for them. PTSD was a bitch, but she was willing to let them deal in their own way, as long as it didn't harm themselves or others. She would support them no matter what. They were family and you didn't give up on family.

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 **A new chapter! You didn't even have to wait that long. Honestly, I'm super excited for the upcoming chapters. I think I just really want to get to WS. I'm so ready for some Bucky but no worries. I won't rush it. Also, I'm an idiot. I'm a few chapters ahead in typing, and the last one, I deleted the whole freaking chapter! I now have to rewrite the 20 pages. So I'm now off to do that. Wish me luck.**

 **Anywho... hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought. Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favourites!**

 **CurlyOne: Glad to hear 3**

 **akagami hime chan: Yay! The longer they're together the better their banter will get.**

 **TimeLordRules: Thanks so much. That conversation is going to be a fun one. I feel like Steve would probably feel bad for her to be honest. But hey, what do I know lol:p**

 **Daisy54154: Thank you.**


	8. Movie Night

_**Yay. Another chapter. I kind of sat myself down and wrote three chapters out today. That's my new goal kinda... write 3 chapters a day. It usually works for my novels, but I also handwrite those. The internet is distracting... especially when you have another window up of fics you want to read. Ugh. Anyways, hope you enjoy. Also, I know this is kinda short, but the next chapter is a bit longer.**_

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Maj had been alone in the apartment for the past month. That's how long it had been since New York had been attacked. She hated every moment of it. Most of her time was spent wishing Nat and Clint were with her. Hell, they even took Lucky with them. Maj knew they needed the time away, but it didn't make her miss them any less. They were family.

Most of her days were spent at Sr Margaret's, working and spending time with the guys. They were great company and Wade did what he could do keep her in good spirits… in his own way. Alec was some help as well, but a week into her return, his family went on holiday. His parents had the tendency to extend their trip as they felt so Maj wasn't surprised when her friend informed her they'd be gone until the start of classes. It was upsetting, but there was nothing Maj could do about it.

A few weeks into everything, the young woman began to spend some time at the under-construction Stark Tower. Although Tony and Pepper had left for Malibu, Bruce had stayed, taking residence in the lab. Apparently, it was better than using one of the rooms. Maj enjoyed her time with him. He generally worked in silence, but she had noticed that after a while- and a bit of prodding on her part- that he would explain certain things to her.

When she wasn't at the lab, she was with Steve. They still regularly met for lunch, but after a while, Maj wanted to show him what the 21st century had to offer him. Thus started movie nights and various trips all over NYC, at least when neither of them were busy. Weasel was fine with her working less, although the guys had made a stink about it.

"What's this movie about again?"

Maj jumped onto her bed and cuddled up to her pillow. Her phone laid beside her, speaker on. With no one around, it made no sense for her to have it to her ear. Not like there was anything important being said. "A guy meets his soulmate in Egypt. It's really good. A classic."

"A series?"

"Yeah, but we'll only watch three of them. We don't talk about the last one." Maj shuddered. That was a horrible movie. I mean, they got rid of the original mom.

"That bad? What do you want to eat?" That was a loaded question. Maj tended to be incredibly indecisive and with her love for a few different types of food, that question was always met with silence. "First thing that comes to mind, Maj."

"Korean?"

"Sounded like a question."

"Look here, Cap-"

The chuckle on the other end only fueled her irritation. A pout made its way on her face, but it went unseen for obvious reasons. "Any special requests?"

"Lots of kimchi."

"Like I could forget."

"You're the best! I'm leaving Sr Marg's around five and no you won't pick me up. It's before dark and if anything, I'll have one of the guys walk with me." Steve grumbled in response but let her have her way. Not long after she had started back up at the bar, America's Golden Boy had taken up walking her home. It wasn't much of a problem when he stayed outside, but on the few occasions he'd gone in, the guys found his presence unnerving. Steve wasn't any better, having said it wasn't the safest place-or neighbourhood- to be in. Keeping the two seperate was the best course of action. "Great! See you tomorrow."

Once off the phone, Maj let out a tired sigh. While she was looking forward to spending time with Steve, she wasn't looking forward to the next day. One of the guys-Snake- had died and the crew's remembrance of him was going on. Maj hadn't really spoken to him, but he never caused problems. It was always upsetting when one of them died, but it was their chosen path. There wasn't much she could do. The whole remembrance was the only reason Weasel was 'opening' so early. At least she was out of there by 5.

With a grumble, Maj rolled out of bed. She didn't remember when she had fallen asleep, but she wished she had at least brush her teeth. Her mouth felt disgusting. Twenty minutes later, Maj was dressed and ready for the day. Thankfully her hair had decided to cooperate with her that morning, although it might also have been because she'd been sporting a pineapple for the past two days. She ate a quick breakfast, sent Clint a quick text, and made her way to the bar.

Not an hour into the event and the place was packed. It had gotten to the point where Maj had ordered everyone to sit down. The regulars were quick to listen to her instruction, but the few who had been reluctant were easily put in their place and found seats. With that taken care of, Maj began the task of serving everyone their drinks. It was all smooth, but there was always that one asshole.

"Think you can go any quicker sweetheart." Maj rolled her eyes and continued on talking to Big Rob. "Hey, I'm talking to you."

Maj spun around, body rigid once she realised the man was on his feet and quite close to her. Not one to back from a fight-stupidity, Clint said- she met the man's drunken gaze, arms crossed. "And I'm not listening. Now, sit your ass back down and wait for me to get to you."

"Look here slut-" the rest was cut off by a fist colliding with his jaw.

"That's not very nice. Could really hurt someone's feelings. You okay, kid?" Maj gave a sharp nod before she returned her attention to Big Rob.

Once she got his order, Majalia made her way back to the bar. A small part of her felt bad for the guy. She was one of a few women to make it into their club and they were fiercely protective of her. As she watched her saviour lead the guy outside, Maj noticed that a few others had vacated their seats as well. Nope, the night wouldn't end well for the bastard.

The minute 5 o'clock came, Maj tossed her tray, grabbed her sweater and booked it from the bar. After that minor altercation, things calmed down and those who weren't familiar with the house rules were promptly informed. The rest of the day went about smoothly, which Maj was grateful for.

As she walked down the the backed sidewalk, she felt an arm drape itself over her shoulder. Immediately her elbow jutted out hitting her would be assailant on their solar plexus. The person grunted and the moment she saw who it was, her eyes widened. "Oh my- fucking hell Wade! What were you thinking?"

"That you would let me take you into an alley." She slapped his arm. "Okay, not funny. Good hit though. Let's get you home."

"I hate you."

"You too, honey."

Stepping up to her apartment, Maj quickly thanked and said goodbye to Wade before she rushed inside. When she reached her door, she heard the television on inside. Smile on face, she let herself in. "Hello, America's Golden Boy."

"Hey Maj. How was work?"

"Good. Slight altercation but Wade and the guys took care of it. Your day?" Maj gave him a quick smile as she made my way to the kitchen. As usual, Steve came through with food, and she had the thought of cooking for him once again. She'd done it before, but she was thinking of a bigger meal, especially as he wouldn't take her half of the food money.

"It was good. Didn't do too much. Talked to Fury."

"What did he say?"

"He asked me to head a team. Based out of DC."

A sharp pain ran through her chest. She knew what his words meant. Steve would be another person who was leaving her. Maj knew that she should have been used to it. Everyone in her life ended up leaving due to their own paths. She couldn't fault him, especially if it was what he wanted to do. Still, it hurt. "Oh. Did you get extra kimchi?"

"Maj."

"Of course you did. I'm going to heat everything up. Thanks for grabbing the food." She gave him a quick smile. "Once it's heated up we can start the first film."

"Majalia…"

"It's cool, Steve. If it's something you want to do then I'm happy for you."

"I haven't decided yet."

"Oh come on. You know you're going to take it. Sad to say, at this point in time and from what I've seen within the year of knowing you, fighting is what you feel comfortable doing. We've spent so much time talking about life that I know it's what you want. Fighting for what's right has always been in your DNA. SHIELD tries to help people and from what I know about you, that's right up your alley."

"But it's not what you want."

Maj rolled her eyes. "Of course not. But the needs of the many outweigh that of the few. Anyways, want to dish your food?" She watched as Steve came over and did his plate. Each time they made eye contact, the man would have the look of a kicked puppy on his face. "Would you quit it? I get it, we're friends. But in the bigger picture, I don't mean a damn thing. So, get over it, plop yourself on the sofa, and we'll watch The Mummy series. When you wake up in the morning, you'll tell Fury that you're taking the job. It's not like I'll be alone. I have Bruce and the guys at Sr Margarets."

Steve didn't seem too satisfied, but he eventually let it go and the two watched the films together. Throughout them, Maj enjoyed watching Steve's reactions. It was nice to see him entranced by it all, and she was happy to answer any questions he had. Her only issue was that he wanted to watch the last one. Maj had grumbled about it but eventually caved and purchased the $2.99 version off of YouTube. At some point during the movie, Maj ended up falling asleep.


	9. What a Day

When Maj woke, she found herself cuddled up with the giant furnace that was Steve Rogers. With a groan, she removed herself and moved to the kitchen. Another groan escaped her when she saw the time. 4:13 AM. Of course, she would be the one to wake up before him. In the time she'd known the man, he was always the one waking her. What a turn of events. Deciding that it was too early and after grabbing a drink of water, Maj returned to her spot. Steve would be awake in the next hour or so. Another hour of sleep would do her wonderfully.

Maj woke to the furnace moving around. She groaned and rolled over, falling to the floor. Steve, who tended to have amazing reflexes, forgot who he was and watched her fall. She knew he was aware of his surrounding. With a glare, Maj got to her feet and stretched. As Steven was in the bathroom, she decided to start the coffee. She couldn't understand why people liked the stuff- hot chocolate or tea were her poisons- but she figured it was a nice gesture. Especially since he had at some point put away the remaining food. She was actually shocked there were leftovers, but then again, Steve knew her love of Korean.

After a quick shower, Maj went back to find Steve leaning against the counter with a mug in hand. It was a sight she'd seen before, but she couldn't help but smile. As the thought of his offer invaded her mind, but, the smile fell. She was going to miss him, although she hoped he would visit or she could go to him. It would be a horrible day if their friendship ended because of his move. "Morning."

"Good morning. What are your plans for today?"

She thought for a moment. After the previous day, Weasel wouldn't mind her skipping a day, but the guys did look forward to seeing her. Then again, she could stay in and wallow with despair. Her friend was leaving and Alec was still away with family. Maybe a self-care day was in order. "Uh, not sure. I was thinking of staying home today." Steve nodded. "I mean, I know you're busy so it's not like I can ask you to hang."

"You could. It's not like I have much to do."

"Yes," she drawled, "you do. Fury remember?"

"That can wait. How about this, I'll head home and on my way back, I'll grab a few things and we can just spend the day together. Sound good?" Maj stared at him for a moment before giving him her affirmative. "Good. Mind making breakfast or should I pick something up?"

"I'll cook. Anything in particular?"

"Whatever you want. I'll be back in an hour."

Once Steve was gone, Maj moved to the living room and collapsed onto the sofa. Spending as much time as she could with him wouldn't be a bad thing. She just wanted to sleep. The young woman was grateful that she had at least gotten ready for the day. It made her upcoming thirty-minute snooze worth it. eEven if she wouldn't be able to get a head-start on breakfast.

'Of course, when I want to snooze my body refuses to let me.' Fifteen minutes had passed since she had set her alarm and sleep was nowhere in her imminent future. With more grumbling, she gave up and made her way to the kitchen. 'Might as well get a start on.' It was only as she looked through her pantry that she realised it was severely lacking. There wasn't enough to feed a super-soldier with an incredible metabolism and herself. 'Guess a trip to the store's in order.' Shoes on, Maj rushed out of the apartment and hoped she'd be back before Steve.

Five minutes to spare. That's how long Maj had to get the food started. She hated rushing, but this was one time she had to do so. The coily-haired brunette set everything out and disposed of the bags. It would be unfortunate if Steve saw them. He would know she had nothing in the house. The more rational part of her wondered why she cared so much, but that was stomped out. Everything needed to seem as if it were fine. He needed to go to DC.

A few minutes after she had finished the first stack of french toast, Steve made his entrance. In his hand was a bag of what she assumed was food. Eyes wide, she stared at him. How had- the snoop! She should have known better. The amount of time they spent at each other's place had only grown into familiarity. Mi casa es tu casa. For the most part, there were very few things that were off-limits. Without saying a word, Maj motioned to the eggs. Chuckling, the blond went to whisk some eggs.

Breakfast eaten, the pair settled back in the living room. They had decided to continue catching up on what Steve had missed since being a popsicle. Which meant Maj introducing him to the world of Doctor Who. The history buff in her had thought of going through the decades and pulling relevant pieces, but then figured, pop culture was so much more important. So there they sat, watching Chris Eccleston reboot the series.

By the time we reached Dalek, Steve was about ready to call it quits. "You can't be serious? Too much science fiction? Steve, you do know that you fall into that category, right?"

"How?"

"Much love to Erskine, because without him you wouldn't be here, but out of context, a mad scientist made you all muscle-y," a poke at his upper arm, "and tall and yay America. Okay, maybe not the last part, but he made you into a freaking human Dorito!"

"Really, Maj? A human Dorito?"

"You have a wonderful shoulder-waist-hip ratio. You look like a friggen Dorito, Steve. Guys wish they could have your body and women want to do dirty, nasty things to it."

"Maj!"

"Aww, you're red," the young woman cackled as she stood before him and pinched his cheeks. Steve swatted her hand away. "No need to be embarrassed. It's a nice body. I mean, I'm sure you got some action back in the day. You were on the chorus line."

"Oh my god." Steve covered his face with his hands. Maj continued to laugh as she watched his ears turn a lovely shade of red. "Why were you even looking?"

"Because you have a nice body. Besides, I wanted to know if it was real or if the drawings were to attract a female audience. Alec and I spent a weekend analysing the old images with the new ones." Steve stared at her for a moment before he leapt up and made a grab for her. Laughing, Maj rushed off, doing everything in her power to avoid the Dorito.

Unfortunately, her efforts were thwarted when Steve cornered her in and began to tickle her sides. The laughter turned into gasps as she tried to wiggle herself away but Steve wouldn't relent. "Are you going to stop?"

"N-never!" Probably the wrong thing to say, but Maj was having too much fun. "Y-you asked for IT."

"I did not. Say you'll stop looking and I'll stop tickling you."

"B-but you're a D-Dorito." Steve gave her a less than amused look as he continued his attack. As he reached for her arm, a force pushed him down. "Uh, Steve. You're heavy."

"I can't get up."

"What? What do you mean you can't get up? Steve, look if you wanted to cop a feel you could have asked. I'm a cool bro."

"Maj, I can't get up. It's like something's pushing me down."

"This isn't fun anymore." She pushed at him but like he said, the man didn't budge. Maj glanced at his arms and realised that he was actually straining himself to move. "This is some twisted joke. Think you can stop and try again? Maybe... it'll go away." Steve listened to her and not a moment later, he was able to pull himself back.

"What the hell was that?"

"No clue. But until we figure out what that was, we will never speak of it."

"We have to talk about it to someone about it."

"Duh. I meant not as a funny story. It could be a one-time thing? The universe fucking-sorry- with us. I mean what else could it have been?" Steve had no reply for her. Instead, he helped her stand and the two returned to an evening of Doctor Who.

Steve had left a little after nine. They'd talked about his upcoming move, with him telling her that he wanted to create his own team. Fury had one for him, but , Steve needed to get a feel for them. He was leaving in a few days on a test mission and would be back by the next Tuesday. Maj was bummed, but he wouldn't leave until after Thanksgiving.

Maj had gone to bed after her Dorito left. The thought of what had happened drifted away, a problem for a later date. When Maj woke from a particularly good dream- something about leading an army of flying squirrels- she found that the objects in her room were floating a few feet off the floor. A yelp left her as the thumped back down. 'Nope. Not dealing with it. Not today.'

In the coming hours, Maj went about her usual routine, messaging Alec and getting ready for the guys. She was interested to know how the night would go. She was sure the bar had fallen into despair in her absence, Weasel usually let them get away with anything but skimping their bill. If she hadn't known what was going on and that for the most part, the guys had money, she would have wondered how Weasel kept in business.

7 o'clock came around and Maj walked into the bar. She was greeted with raucous cheers. She had been missed. Since getting acquainted with everyone, one of the first things she did was check the board above the bar. Thankfully, no one had died in the last few days. With a smile, she got to work, regaling the guys with stories of the mischief she would get into with Clint as she did so.

By 2, Maj was exhausted. The guys packed alcohol away like nobody's business. It was a wonder they weren't dead, dying, or stumbling around in a haze. She couldn't help in finding humour in their blood being 90% alcohol. However, one thing that disappointed her though was Wade's absence. She hadn't made any inquiries about it. The less she knew, the better-their words. In the end, Maj figured he was on a job. She could only hope he came home relatively unharmed.

Turning the doorknob to her apartment, Maj froze by how easily it swung open. She backed away, moving to the opposite wall and pulled out her phone. Nat and Clint were a no-go, as was Steve. Tony was still in Malibu, the dick. Okay, he wasn't a dick, but she wished he was there. The only person she could call was Bruce. Problem was, would he be asleep? The sound of movement only spurred her and she dialled him. She waited for an answer but got nothing. 'Nut up or shut up.' Taking a breath, Maj entered the house, grabbed the baton Nat left under the couch's arm, and made her way through the house.

As she reached her bedroom-where the noise was coming from- Maj posed to attack. 'You can do this. You've got this. Don't be a chicken shit.' Battle cry leaving her, Maj rushed into the room, finding the intruder quickly as she had startled the hell out of him. Baton activated, she brought it down on their head. The intruder dodged and charged for her. With a squeak, Maj turned heel and ran out of the room.

'Dammit.' She wasn't quick enough and the person managed to grab a hold of her shoulder and yanked her back. Thankfully, she was scrappy and managed to get out of their hold... for a second. As they grabbed onto her ankle, the intruder dropped to the ground. She could see them trying to get up, but they-the man- couldn't move. Maj managed to remove herself from his grip and stared the more he grunted in an attempt to right himself.

She managed to find her phone and once again called Bruce. When he didn't reply, Maj called Tony.

"What can I do for you, kiddo?"

"There's someone in my apartment! Bruce wouldn't answer. I don't know... Tony." Her breathing came out quick and heavy. Tears fell down her cheeks and the longer she stood there, the harder it seemed for her to breathe. Her chest hurt and she couldn't understand why this was happening to her. Why did things like this seem to happen to her? She voiced her thoughts to Tony, feeling more and more hysterical with each word.

"Calm down. Where are you? Hiding?"

"He can't get up. I don't- I don't know why but he can't reach me."

"I'm having JARVIS alert Bruce. Keep an eye on the guy but get as far away from him as possible. Do it now, Maj."

She moved to the other side of the living room, eyes trained on him. The longer she watched, the less he seemed to struggle against the force. "He's not moving much. I think he gave up."

"Don't get any closer to him. Bruce will be there in five minutes." Maj let out a breath, wrapping her arm around her. "It'll be okay, kid. I'm going to have to add security measures to your place. The spies should have known better."

"It's not their fault. Clint needs time to recuperate. Nat needed to go with him."

"They could've-"

"No. I have a job and friends here. Besides, it's 'couple' time. Nat's what he needs right now."

"Capsicle?"

"Mission. He'll be back tomorrow... well later today."

"Maybe you can stay with him or have him stay with you. Doesn't matter how you do it. You shouldn't be alone."

As I went to agree, Bruce rushed into the apartment, looking all types of dishevelled. "Bruce is here. I'll put him on." I handed the phone over and after a minute or two, Bruce ended the call and returned the phone to me.

As I pocketed it, I allowed my eyes to roam over to the man. He was incredibly still. Bruce followed my gaze. "How long has he been still?"

"Um... a few minutes. Is he breathing?"

"From what I can see, no. Do you know how this happened?" I shook my head, debating on whether I should tell him about what happened with Steve and the floating furniture. "Well, SHIELD is on its way. Apparently, Tony had also alerted them. He'll be gone in-" three agents entered the room. "-now." After a quick discussion, they left with the body.

"Thanks for coming, even if it took forever to get in contact with you."

"I was working."

"Of course you were. I'll grab you a pillow and blankets. The sofa is very comfortable." Bruce started to stammer about staying the night, but I refused to allow him to leave. There was no way in hell I was staying in this apartment alone. "Bruce, someone just broke into my place and tried to do whatever to me. I'm not staying here alone. If you leave, I'll go with you and I'll ask JARVIS not to let you into your lab. Please stay. Less temptation and you'll actually get sleep. Besides, I'm scared to be alone." With a defeated sigh, Bruce waved me off to get the sleeping utensils.

The next morning, Bruce was quick to leave. He had promised to leave his phone on loud, just in case. Maj was particularly grateful for the notion, but she knew how uncomfortable with the notion he would be, her calling while he worked. Instead, she told him not to worry about it and that she'd get Steve to stay with her. The look of relief wasn't missed, but she let it go. She was very aware of her friend.

After a quick breakfast, Maj decided that she didn't want to spend the day indoors. Throwing on a warm jacket and packing her bag with necessities, Maj left the apartment to explore. As she walked around the area, Maj realised that she didn't particularly want to stay in Brooklyn, deciding that she wanted to go to the beach. It was too cold to swim, but it was nice enough to walk around. If she had wanted warm sand, she would have asked Tony to fly her out.

An hour and a half later, Maj found herself at Rockaway Beach. The area was pretty empty, with only locals around. She was perfectly okay with that too. Maj didn't feel like being around the masses. Unlike the city, there was no bombardment of tourists, especially this time of year. It also meant that the trails were empty. More alone time for her, especially since she needed to go over the events of the previous night.

Returning from one of the longer trails, Maj stopped by Rockaway Tacos. She hadn't had the pleasure of eating there before, and while she wasn't a fan of fish tacos, she was willing to see if they could change her opinion. So ten minutes later, Maj found herself at a far corner table, three fish tacos, a glass of watermelon lemonade, and a side of chips and guac. The tacos weren't too bad, but it was the drinks she liked. She had also tried their pineapple mint which was as good as the watermelon. If anything, she'd return for those.

As she finished up, she messaged Wade, spoke to Alec, and shot Steve a text asking him to come over once he could. Wade had replied with a snarky comment and Steve hadn't replied at all. She hadn't expected him to. He was probably finishing up the mission, on the plane back, or in debriefing. Finished and friend duties 'completed', Maj decided it was time to head back to Brooklyn.

Instead of heading home, Maj opted to head straight to Sr Margaret's. It made no sense for her to go home, especially if she would end up there in a few hours. As she walked in, she spotted Wade sitting at the bar. He hadn't noticed her so she snuck up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Ready to profess your undying love for me?"

"More like checking you for injuries."

"Hello, nurse."

"I'll end up killing you, Wade." She downed the shot that was in front of him and went on to mess with the other guys.

An hour or so later, four unfamiliar men entered the bar. Once they sat themselves down, Maj went to take their order. Her interaction with them was less than rewarding-there was something off about them. She squashed the feeling and decided that she wouldn't particularly pay them any mind. There was no need to cause any trouble. That was Wade's department.

True to his personality, Maj was left with the unfortunate task of delivering a buttery nipple to the table, courtesy of Wade Wilson. None of the men looked pleased with the drink, and one stood and approached him. Mack had grabbed onto her arm, pushing Maj into the booth and standing at its entrance. Since fights were pretty common, one of the guys would act as her protector, although it was a pretty closed off group and they were in the right state to know she wasn't a part of the brawl. Maj was off-limits, but the strangers didn't know that.

A sigh escaped her as she saw the man's face contort in anger. Whatever snarky comment Wade said got under his skin. What surprised me was how quickly Wade dispatched the man. He usually liked to play around with his prey- for lack of a better term. The other men stood but instead of going for Wade, they left the building altogether, leaving behind their friend.

When Steve texted to let her know that he was on her way, Maj told Weasel she was leaving, wished the guys good night, and rushed out the bar with a smile. Her smile fell when she saw three of the unfamiliar men leaning against the wall. Not wanting to deal with them, Maj went in the opposite direction. Her heart quickened when she realised they were following her. 'I should have had someone walk with me. Idiot.' She should have, but no one was ready to leave. If she were smarter, she would have asked Steve to pick her up, but it wouldn't have mattered now. With the realisation they were behind her, Maj broke into a run.

She paid no attention to where she was going, and like the other times, Maj found herself backed into an alley. It was getting old if she were honest. With nowhere to go, Maj faced the men, catching a glimpse of their feral smirks. She was trapped. Knowing what was to come, Maj closed her eyes and waited for the pain, wishing something would deter them.

When all she heard were their yells, Maj peeked out to find they were a few feet off the ground and only getting higher. She watched in shock as the stopped at the top of the building- about fifteen feet. The men continued to struggle against the unseen force for a moment before they plummeted to the earth with more force than was possible. They hit the ground with a sickening thud, their bodies leaving impact craters where they hit. With wide eyes, Maj scampered around them and ran the rest of the way home.

The moment Maj entered her apartment, she collapsed to the floor. Her body trembled, breaths heavy, and tears fell. She couldn't believe what had happened. It was getting ridiculous. How was it happening? Maj near jumped out of her skin when a hand touched my shoulder. A quick glance up had me barrelling into Steve. A blubbering mess, she somehow managed to get what happened out. Steve wasn't happy with me-the frown lines were a dead giveaway- but he did his best to comfort me without the lecture. Once Maj managed to calm down, he sent her to bed with the promise of seeing Bruce in the morning.

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What! Finally a post. Can I just say though, the second half... I accidentally deleted it and had to rewrite it so it probably isn't as good at the first half. I was writing it in a speed thing and it didn't have an undo. I meant to copy-n-paste it. So yeah. That happened. I need to get better at life. I did it a while ago with my novel, except I had 2 chapters left to write and I lost everything but the first 4 chapters. Yeah, I suck.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed it. This by far was my favourite chapter to write. The Steve/Maj bonding was particularly my favourite. I mean, they're adorable. It's all set up for later, promise. Also, our favourite spy will be making her appearance soon... like soon, soon. But yeah, let me know your thoughts.

 **TimeLordsRule** : Thanks so much. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **CrystalVixen93** : Thanks :} Hope you like this chapter.


	10. Tests

When the pair had woken the next morning, Steve was quick to usher Maj out of the house. The young woman was nervous enough as it was but knew it was something that needed to be done. She felt lucky to have Steve with her. Though quiet that morning, he was a pillar of strength. His presence was enough to ease some of the tension she felt.

As they entered the tower, JARVIS was quick to greet them and the two made the move to the labs. It was the only place Bruce could be, especially since they all knew he preferred to lock himself away to work. The man in question was found looking through a microscope, a mug and notepad beside him.

"Doctor Banner." The man jumped before removing his glasses and facing the pair. "Sorry. We were wondering if you had a bit of time."

"Did something happen? Another break-in?"

Steve turned to the brunette, eyebrows raised. She hadn't gotten the chance to really tell him about that incident. "No. Um, something else did." With the man's attention, Maj retold the events of the previous night.

"They were levitated off the ground and dropped at a force more so than should have?" Maj nodded. "I think we should run some tests. Adding this to what happened with the other night, you're the catalyst."

"You think I did this? But how?"

"We'll figure it out."

The tests took a bit over two hours to complete and by the time they were over, Maj was exhausted. She had stumbled over to the cot in the corner and laid down, not bothering to pay attention to the conversation between Bruce and Steve. She'd find out later, especially since both men were worried.

A gentle prod was what woke the young woman up. As she glanced around the lab, she found that Steve was nowhere to be found. Bruce gave her a small smile before he returned to his desk. Rubbing her eyes, she brought her legs over the side. " Where's Steve?"

"He went to grab you some food. You've been asleep for a few hours."

"Oh. Did you figure anything out?"

"Just a bit. Did you want me to wait for Steve to get here or did you want the information now?"

"Does he already know?"

"Yes. But you seem to respond better to him."

Maj shrugged. She could see where Bruce was coming from, but at that moment, she promised herself that he wouldn't freak out. Not about this. "Uh, you can tell me. I'll be fine. Promise."

Bruce observed her for a moment before removing his glasses. "We think Loki did something to you."

"When he took me?"

"Yes. Whatever he did altered you, giving you some form of abilities. Your blood was nothing like normal cells. The erythrocytes lacked the iron necessary but nothing has been damaged. I also noticed that they went through moments of lightning before going dense once again."

"So... what?"

"Steve and I discussed running a few more tests, some that have to do with the situations you were in."

"You want me to be mugged and nearly assaulted?"

"No. Of course not. I would like to see if the response could be repeated in a more controlled environment." Maj let out a breath, releasing her shoulders. "Steve had mentioned the first time it happened was when you were horsing around?"

"Yeah. I couldn't get him off of me. I told him to stop trying to get up and when he had, he was able to move."

"Maybe we could recreate it. Better that scenario than the others."

"I suppose. But don't you think it'll come across as forced? I mean, I would know that we're being watched. Performance anxiety and all that."

Before he could respond, Steve entered the room with a bag of what Maj could only assume was food. He glanced between the two before placing the bag on a far desk and motioning for them to come over. "I take it you told her?" Bruce nodded. "How do you want to go about this?"

"I suggest we go based on the first occurrence. Maj brought up a good point so we need it to happen as naturally as possible. I'll call Tony and see if I can install some equipment. Once that' set up, we'll work on getting the results."

"And if anything happens before the equipment is installed?"

"Keep a log of it. I need to know when, where, what time, and what caused the event."

"What if I'm asleep?" Both men gave her a confused look. "I woke up the other day with my things floating in the air. When I realised, they all crashed to the ground."

"So it's subconscious. Probably a defence mechanism. Whatever Loki did to you, it seemed to be more so to help you. Which given who he is, might not be the best thing."

"So I'm aware. He seemed quite concerned when I woke up upstairs. He said something about power and that I would secure his victory or something."

"Wait. You woke up while you were with him?"

"Yes. He put me back under a little while later though. I didn't even have time to get away, although it was not for a lack of trying. I mean the guy can duplicate himself!"

Steve went to respond but Bruce cut in. "If we go by what Loki said, you already had these abilities and he just unleashed them. If that's the case, why didn't any of your previous bloodwork show any anomalies?"

"Mom was a doctor. She did all my check-ups. That's how she and dad met Tony. It was a fundraiser and he and dad got along wonderfully... after dad put him in his place for flirting with mom."

"Where did your mother work? What hospital?"

"I don't remember. She was always going between New York and DC. I think the hospital was there." Maj shrugged before averting her gaze.

Weeks passed since the day at the lab and Maj was no closer to answers than before. Apparently, she was able to manipulate gravity. She had been practising, but she was no closer to control. Everything was out of whack, and from what she realised, based on emotions. It was just her luck that her emotions were all over the place. Steve was great to have around, but there was only so often he could cater to her. Before the holidays rolled in, he was sent out on another mission. He had promised to be back before Thanksgiving, something Maj hoped he would accomplish. She had reached out to Nat and Clint, but her brother was the only one to respond. Natasha was out on a mission, one that Maj assumed was the same as Steve's. Clint had said he would try to get back for the day. Maj had heard the exhaustion in his voice so she didn't press him, although she felt he would most likely stay away.

A week before Thanksgiving, Nat called. She promised she'd drop by though she wasn't sure about staying for the holiday. All the maybes made Maj wish she at least had her soulmate. Then she would have had one person to be with. She sighed. It wasn't the time to dwell on her apparently absent bond. Instead, she focused on whether or not she would cook for the possibility of company or just buy something for herself from a diner. She decided to wait until a few days prior to know exactly if anyone would show up. If worse came to worse, she could always call Bruce and have dinner with him.

As expected, Clint said he wouldn't be making the trip. Maj had tried not to let it bother her, but it did. She had hoped to spend time with him- it had been months since they'd seen each other and she missed the man. Natasha had reiterated her statement of dropping by, and Steve had told her he'd be back the day before and asked if he could stay over.

"Of course you can, ya' oaf. Why would you even ask such a stupid question?"

"I figured you'd have Alec or Wade over. I know you like to keep us all separate."

He wasn't wrong in that. Maj did have a tendency to keep her groups far apart. It wasn't that she was ashamed of any of her friends- it was more so that Wade had a tendency to piss people off and she would rather keep the man alive. As for Alec, while he knew Nat and Clint, they didn't care much for him and if he knew she hung out with Captain America, he would never leave her alone. Alec had always had a thing for the American hero- his walls were plastered in memorabilia when they were younger- and the fascination had yet to go away. It had dulled after a period, but after the battle, the thirst came back with a vengeance. With knowing the man behind the mask, Maj had found his adoration annoying and hoped that they would never meet.

Maj had been washing her hair when she thought she heard something out in the living room. Not wanting to jump to conclusions, she continued with her wash, pausing every so often to see if there was any movement. It was when she heard something against her counter did Maj begin to think the worse. Not wanting to alert the intruder, she left the water running and crept out of the bathroom. When she saw a shadow move across the living room, she instantly threw her hands out and the figure hit the ground with a heavy thud. Eyes wide, Maj rushed into the room, hands over her mouth when she saw the 'intruder'.

"What the hell, Steve!"

"Well, it worked." He tried to stand to no avail. "Mind letting me up?"

"As a matter of fact, I do mind. What were you thinking?"

"Maj, it feels like my back is breaking."

Focusing on relieving some weight from him, Maj crossed her arm over her chest. "What did you mean it worked?"

"It was a test. I talked to Bruce and we figured it would be a good idea for me to surprise you. Especially considering your abilities are linked to your emotions... at least at the moment." With a little more focus, Maj released her friend. "Thanks. You did good."

"I could have killed you. Wait... at the moment?"

"Bruce thinks that over time you'd have more control over it. Something about how your emotions are necessary at the moment but the more you practice, the less likely spontaneous bursts will occur. He said more, but it was more technical jargon."

"So I need to practice. Great." With a huff, she stalked back to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Two hours later, Maj emerged from the bathroom and dropped onto the couch. Steve grabbed onto her legs and draped them over his lap, rubbing into the muscles of her calves. She shot him an annoyed glare only to receive a cheeky grin. America's Golden Boy her ass. Moving quickly, Maj grabbed the remote and changed the channel when she came across a horror film. It was the perfect form of payback. Steve could handle a lot, but senseless and gory killings were where he apparently drew the line. He protested but when she reminded him of what had just happened, he quieted down.

Not long into the movie, there was a knock on the door. The two shared a confused glance before Maj went to check who had decided to visit her. She cursed as she saw the person on the other side. It would be her luck that Alec would show up. She tried to sneak away and pretend she wasn't in, but Alec had made it known that he knew she was in. Sighing, Maj quickly opened the door and slipped out before either man could see each other.

"What are you doing here?"

"I missed you. We haven't seen each other in months and while talking on the phone is great, I miss your face. The real question is, why didn't you invite me in?"

"I missed you too but I have company."

"When has that ever stopped you? You're not in anything sexy so I know it's not that kind of company so what gives? Are you ashamed of me?"

"What!? No. Of course not. It's jus-" At that moment, the door opened and Maj would have fallen backwards if not for the beefcake that caught her. "Seriously! You couldn't stay inside?"

"Maj... is that..."

"No."

"It is, isn't it?" Alec moved from his spot and studied Steve for all he was worth, a smile creeping onto his lips the longer he stared. "You've been keeping Ca-" She slammed her hand on his mouth and dragged her best friend inside, pushing Steve out of the way as she did so. Okay, he let her.

"Please don't freak out." Alec nodded. "Promise?" The man held out his pinky and she wound hers around it before removing her hand.

"But how?"

"You know when Nat picked me up? That's how I met him."

"And you didn't tell me? You know how much I love him." Maj gave her friend a pointed look. "Okay. I get your point but I would have played it cool."

"Alec. You just about screamed his government out."

"I was surprised."

Maj rolled her eyes about to speak when Steve cut in. "What's going on?"

"Steve, this is Alec. We've been friends for years. I've been trying to keep you apart because Alec is a fan. Happy?" The blonde nodded although she could tell he was wary of her friend. "It's fine, Steve."

"It's nice to meet you, Captain Rogers. It's a real honour."

"Steve is fine."

"Right. I hope you don't mind me interrupting your date. I really haven't seen Maj in months."

Maj facepalmed but remained silent, opting to return to the couch. She paid no attention to what the guys spoke about but was glad that a few minutes after she'd taken her seat, they'd joined her. Steve had retaken his position while Alec sat behind her. Satisfied with having her boys with her, Maj decided to change the movie to something they'd all enjoy.

* * *

 **Hey all! So finally updating! I hope you're enjoying the story. I know we haven't gotten to Bucky yet, but we'll be there soon.**

 **Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, favourited, and/or followed I Dare You. It means a lot to me. And w** **hile I hate to ask this, I would totally appreciate if you let me know your thoughts. They definitely keep me motivated and I would like to hear your thoughts.**

 **Anyways, enough of that. I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	11. Holiday from Hell

**_I'm back. Things have been a little busy and only getting busier. I'll try to update more in the coming weeks._**

 ** _Thanks to everyone who left comments. Now onto the chapter._**

* * *

The night before Thanksgiving, Maj got to work preparing all the little things and side dishes. She even threw the turkey into her biggest pot to marinade. There was a lot of food for her to cook, but she didn't mind it. Maj was happy that she wouldn't be spending the holiday alone.

Weasel had offered to have her up at the bar. He had planned a festive day for everyone, but Maj would rather stay home. There was less of a chance of her getting drunk. He still told her to stop by if she didn't want to be alone. She appreciated it, but thankfully, Steve, Bruce, and Alec said they'd stop by. Alec was to come by after spending the morning with his family. He had invited her, but Maj reminded him Nat was going to come home.

With the sides started or finished and the turkey set to cook, Maj went to get ready for bed. She wasn't as tired as she thought she was, but she figured it would be nice to get extra sleep. Majalia should have known better, but she had to try. Not three hours after she'd closed her eyes, Maj woke. She groaned and turned over, willing herself to fall back to sleep. When it didn't immediately happen, Maj turned on her light and reached for a book. Might as well get some reading in. The young woman managed to get through half the book before her eyes finally drooped.

Majalia jolted up when she heard a loud bang from the kitchen. Since Steve had promised to be over early to help, she figured it was him and that he'd pull her out of bed eventually. That thought was dashed away when she heard a voice she hadn't heard in months. Maj tossed the blanket aside and sprinted out of the room, jumping onto the redhead. The woman's quick reflexes were the only thing that kept Maj's ass off the floor.

"I see I was missed."

The younger woman extracted herself from the spysassin, hands going to her hips. "Of course you were. I didn't call you for no reason. Not like you answered."

"I was busy." Maj rolled her eyes before she checked for injuries. "I'm fine. I didn't do too many mission."

"How's Clint?"

"Getting better. He might be cleared in the next few weeks if he passes evals."Maj nodded. "I tried to get him to come but he wanted to stay home."

"This is home!" Maj took a breath, trying to calm herself. She hated that he didn't consider here home. In her mind, home wasn't a place but the people who made you feel most comfortable. She had to remember not everyone thought that way. "New York or just here?"

"He didn't specify and I didn't push. Look, I know I'm not him, but I'm here."

Maj's shoulders sagged as she thought about what Tasha had said. "I am happy you're here. I just wanted you both here. I guess I'm being selfish."

"You're not. It's been the three of us for a while. I know it's difficult when we're gone but we do care about you. Clint… he just needs to finish getting his head on straight. It didn't help that Loki took you too. He's dealing with a lot. Give him a bit more time."

"Okay. So, were you going for coffee or…"

"Yes." That concluded the heavy talk. Neither woman had to say what they wanted. They moved around each other with practised ease, eating breakfast and enjoying the other's company.

The dishes had just been washed when the door opened. Nat glared and the younger woman, but Maj ignored her and went to greet the guest. Steve gave her a smile before he moved towards the kitchen. He paused upon seeing Natasha standing there with her arms crossed.

"Romanoff."

"You have a key."

"Steve spends a lot of time here."

"Does he now?" She raised an eyebrow.

Instead of responding to the redhead, Maj took the bags from Steve and placed them on the counter. "Thanks for bringing this. Even though I told you not to."

"I couldn't come by empty-handed. Besides, I was hoping you'd help me make marshmallow pumpkin pie. My mom used to make it every Thanksgiving."

Maj gave her friend a soft smile. "Of course. Do you have the recipe or should I google it?"

"Google."

"Okie dokes. We can get started on it in a bit. I have to start mixing for the mac-and-cheese." Steve offered to help but Maj brushed him off. "You can work on the sweet potato pie filling. Put those muscles to work." She let out a laugh at Steve's glare before she turned her attention to Natasha. "Since you like veggies, you can work on those. Please."

The three worked in silence until Maj remembered to turn on the TV. She had completely forgotten about the parade. Thankfully, they had only missed an hour or so. As she returned to her work, she couldn't help but notice Steve was distracted by the balloons and floats. Knowing it was his first turkey day in the 21st century, Maj grabbed his hand and pulled him to the couch, forcing him to sit.

"Watch and enjoy. I'm sure the parade has changed a lot since you were younger."

"It has. Everything is bigger. Brighter."

Maj chuckled and patted his shoulder before returning to the kitchen where she found Nat watching her. "What?"

"Nothing." Rolling her eyes at the red-head, Maj finished up with her task before moving onto the next.

It was three o'clock when Bruce knocked on the door. As Maj let him in, she pushed a drink into his hands and scurried back to the kitchen to answer her phone. On the other end was Weasel asking her to come in for a bit. It reached the point where Wade took over the call, stating he was coming over. Maj did everything she could to dissuade him, but once Wade made up his mind, there was no telling him anything.

Majalia was a nervous wreck for the next hour as she and Steve made the pie. She was worried Wade would actually show up. She loved the guy, but she knew he wouldn't mesh well with anyone present. Tasha would shoot him, Bruce might lose his cool, and there was the possibility of Steve throwing punches. It would be a catastrophe Maj wanted no part of.

Alec showed up around five and much to Maj's relief, he was cool around the three Avengers. Granted, he was aware that Nat was impartial to his presence, Alec spent most of his time talking to Steve. Though they were very different, they seemed to get on well enough. with having gone through his freak out over the phone.

By six-thirty, the five were seated at the table. There was a nice spread out and enough food for Steve to eat until he was sated. Turkey carved and everyone with food, Maj was happy things were going smoothly. As they got deeper into their conversation, there was pounding against the door. Everyone grew silent, with Nat reaching under the table and Steve getting to his feet.

"It's Wade. I told him not to come."

"You don't know that."

"It has to be him. I mean, who else could it be?" That was a bad question to ask. The moment Steve unlocked the door, it was forced open and men in black tactical suits rushed the room. Natasha and Steve immediately jumped into action while Bruce grabbed Alec and pulled him to another room. Nat tried to get me to go but I figured I should be able to help them. With a breath, I focused on the intruders and thrust my hands out. For a moment they seemed to slow down but the effect was soon over and they continued their attack at full force.

"Get out of here, Maj."

The young woman bit her tongue, contemplating before she decided to try again. Pushing all her irritation to the forefront of her mind, Maj repeated her action. This time, most of the assailants collapsed. Steve and Tasha took out the last standing before Natasha stalked past her.

Bruce and Alec entered the room, with the former on his phone. It took a few words to realise he was speaking to SHEILD. A few minutes after the call ended, agents entered the house and carted them off. Dinner was ruined, food scattered over the floor. With no need for them to be there, Bruce offered to take Alec home.

With the two gone, Maj was left with the disappointed American Icon and an emotionless spysassin. Neither was ideal but Maj knew the best way through was to let them lecture her. And lecture they did. They kept her there for over an hour, tag-teaming her when one lost air. Eventually, Maj had enough.

"I just wanted to help! So sorry I'm not a super soldier or a highly trained assassin. But I was able to do something. Use this stupid ability for something good. I managed to control it for hell's sake."

"We didn't need your help. You should have gone to the back with Bruce and Alec."

"I didn't want to. I'm not going to sit around and hide. I won't let people fight my battles for me."

"Oh please. No, you know what. Fight your own battles then," Natasha snapped before she stalked into her bedroom.

Maj let out a sigh before she glanced at Steve. "What? You going to yell at me some more?"

"I'm glad you managed to control it but you should have gone into the room. You could have hurt myself or Natasha. If there's ever a next time, think about your surroundings." Maj nodded. "Get some rest. I'll clean in here up."

"It's okay. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight. If you want, you can take my room. I'll just clean out here." Steve observed her for a moment before he gave in. Majalia spent the rest of the night cleaning her living/dining room. It wasn't until the sun began to peek through did she fall asleep. Outside of the year her parents died, this Thanksgiving was the worst she'd ever had. She could only hope that everyone would forgive her.

* * *

So, what did you think? Hope you enjoyed and I look forward to reading your reviews.

REVIEWS:

 **a-starry-eyed wolf:** Thanks so much. Bucky will be coming in soon, in a few chapters. I actually will be having Maj help with a few of his things. They'll be helping each other really. I have big plans for the Wanda/Maj relationship so I won't say too much. As for the timeline, this is before TWS. These next few chapters are kinda just Maj getting acquainted with her newfound abilities. As for Wade, at this point in time, he's not Deadpool yet. That will happen a bit after TWS arch. Also, your review was totally not boring. I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

 **daydreamer987:** Bucky will be coming soon. Only a few more chapters to TWS. Thanks so much for reading and I'm glad you've been enjoying it.


	12. When Clint Comes to Town

Natasha had left early in the morning after the Thanksgiving debacle. Without a word, she put on her jacket and walked out. Maj tried not to show how much it upset her, but when it came to such situations, the young woman was an open book.

Steve, although disappointed, wasn't as mad as she thought he would be. He had said he understood but reiterated his words from the night before. It was better than the alternative. He was at least kind enough to stay for a bit. He wasn't sure if she would have been able to deal with being alone at the moment, even if it was what she wanted.

Minutes after Steve closed the door behind him, Maj finally allowed herself to shed tears. She had only wanted to help, to not feel helpless. Granted, she should have listened to them, but what good was her newfound ability if she couldn't use them?

Eyes red and throat tight, the coily-haired woman stood from her spot on the couch and went to clean herself up. She needed to call Alec. This wasn't something he signed up for. She would hate to lose his friendship, Maj would understand if her friend wanted nothing to do with her. Then she would have to call Bruce. She was curious as to whether he would lecture her as well, but she still would feel better checking in on him.

The conversation with Alec wasn't as painful as she thought it would be. The man had worried more-so about her and Natasha's 'angry eyes'. Maj had relayed the aftermath to him, telling her friend that she wouldn't hear from Nat for a long while. It took her a while to drop her anger. Bruce was calm about the situation. He had only repeated Steve's sentiments although he did agree that she needed to practice using them. Willing to help, he told her they'd start after the holidays.

The next two weeks went by in a blur. Maj spent most of her time at Sr Margaret's, starting the night off working and ending it too drunk to head home. With each passing day, the guys grew more and more worried. Her moods shifted too often for their liking and she was more combative than they'd ever seen her. It soon got to the point where Weasel had to send her home a few times. That only aided her anger and feelings of uselessness.

The young woman had an abrupt wake-up call in the form of Clint Barton on December 5th. The man had jolted her from a drunken stupor by banging pots and pans only to change to loud metal music once she was up. In her state, she hadn't realised the man had actually returned home and stood in front of her.

"Get up," the sandy-haired man snapped seconds after Maj had collapsed onto her bed. As she pulled the blanket over herself, Clint snatched it up and threw it out of the room. "I said get up."

"Leave me alone."

"I'm not going to say it again, Majalia."

She ignored him. A wave of triumph washed over her as she heard him leave the room. It was short-lived as a minute later, Maj and her bed were drenched in cold water. The girl screeched as she jumped out of bed.

"Get dressed." With that, he left the room. Maj begrudgingly went to do as he said. It still hadn't hit her that he was there. All she felt was anger.

Twenty minutes later, she was showered, dressed, and halfway down the fire escape. The moment her feet touched the ground, Maj took off. She hoped to get as far as possible before Clint realised she was gone. She was proud of herself, but she knew there would be hell to pay. Maj couldn't bring herself to care.

Far for her happened to be the cemetery her parents were buried. It had been a while since she visited them. She'd been too drunk to stand on the day. Though in her current state, Maj could care less about it. Sitting against their headstones did cause some tears to form.

"I miss you guys."

It was true. She did miss her parents. Clint and Natasha were great, but they were barely around and their profession made them targets. They weren't safe. Any rational person would have gone to CPS and told them about it. In her case, Maj would have gone to one of her grubby, money-hungry relatives.

"I wish you hadn't died. That you hadn't left me. I wouldn't be like thi- I wouldn't be a freak."

A few hours passed before Clint showed up. By then, Maj was exhausted and her pounding headache did nothing to help. The man said nothing as he motioned to the front gates. With a despondent sigh, she stood, brushed off her pants and walked to his car. When they finally made it back the apartment, the two were silent. In spite, the man had turned the music on full blast. Maj spent the rest of the day glaring at him, but he showed no sympathy or remorse.

It was the next day when words were spoken. Clint spent the time yelling at her. Apparently he had been keeping tabs on her- something she should have known- and he brought up some of her past transgressions.

"You've been watching me?!"

"Oh don't start that crap. What the hell is going on with you? Do you have any idea how worried we are for you?"

"Worried? Oh please."

"Don't you walk away from me, Majalia."

"Fuck you!" the young woman screamed. "You don't get to tell me what to do."

"Last I checked, I was your guardian."

"You only use that term when it benefits you."

"What?"

"And while we're on that subject, you don't do anything with me unless it benefits you. For fuck's sake, you don't even care. You're only here because someone asked you to come. Either that or Natasha was angry enough to vent. So no, you aren't here for me. You're here to find out why your bond was so angry."

"Is that what you really think?"

"You're not here. You're never here. You said you'd be there for me and I promised the same. Yet I haven't seen you since the Battle of New York! I understand needing to get your head right, I really do but you never called." Tears had begun to form, one stray tear falling. "Do you know how that made me feel? For all your talk about us being a family and me being the little sister you never wanted, you couldn't even pick up the damn phone!" The damn broke and tears flowed freely. "Alec, Wade and the guy were great, but they weren't you and they weren't Natasha. I was almost kidnapped! I killed people! I discovered I was a freak! I wanted my big brother there and you know where he was? Out in the wind. I had to rely on cryptic answers to get anything. All I ever heard was that you were alive and dealing. Why couldn't you have just come to me? Why couldn't you… Why couldn't you love me?"

The last part came out so soft Clint was tempted to up the volume of his aids. Maj watched as the man deflated. He sank onto the couch, hands over his face. "I never-"

"Never what? Thought about how your actions affected others? No, you didn't."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, okay."

"I am, Maj."

"Are you really? Or are you sorry I called you out on your shit?" With nothing more to say, Maj left Clint to think of what she said. She didn't slam the door.

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Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Funny how easy it is to get something out when you're inspired. The chapter was going to be longer, but I figured this would be a good stopping point. It was all emotional and all... at least to me. Clint finally showed his handsome face but unfortunately, the reunion wasn't the best. You'll see how that pans out in the next chapter.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Although I really can't wait to have you all read the next chapter though.

We're almost to Bucky. I promise.

 **REVIEWS:**

 **TimeLordsRule:** So glad you enjoyed the chapter. Hopefully your question was answered. As for her now able to defend herself, I so appreciate your words. I definitely wanted her to grow to a certain point before we hit WS. :)

 **WPear:** Thanks so much. I promise Bucky is coming soon :]


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